Alliance
by Kkisses10
Summary: SEQUEL to Resistance: Richard Grayson and his friends are trying to enjoy a problem-free summer before heading back to Elite High for their senior year. While trying to dodge the basic curveballs of life, a new villain is already plotting revenge for the Titans. Relationships are put to the test, bonds are broken, and new friendships are formed.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone! I'm back and (hopefully) better than ever! I hope everyone had a great New Year and an even better rest of the year of 2019 ;) So, I've been reading everyone's reviews from the ending of**

 **Resistance and I'm blown away! So grateful for everyone who loves this story! I know there's been some backlash about Rachel and Jason and the only thing I will say is this- I would never make a pairing in the description and have no intention of not keeping it that way. I wanted to involve at least one love triangle in this story. Plus, I like to see who ships which couple. With that said, every story needs drama! Sheesh people LOL.**

 **On another note, I would like to point out that my writing in this story will be much mature. I'm trying to make as little grammatical errors as possible. Also, there will be more mature scenes as well as heavier content and use of bad language. So, if you're sensitive to that kind of stuff, then I guess don't read this? Haha!**

 **Anyways, here we go! The SEQUEL!**

 **Enjoy and REVIEW! Xoxoxo**

TT

Chapter 1: A June Wedding

It was a beautiful day in June. The sun was high in the sky, the weather wasn't too hot, and and the sky itself was cloudless. It was just hitting two in the afternoon, and somewhere South of California there was a wedding about to begin.

The marriage of Richard Grayson and Kori Anders was the wedding of the summer. It made headlines nearly everywhere, especially since Bruce Wayne's prized prodigy was just seventeen years old, as was his bride. That was definitely out of the ordinary and was a hot topic to be discussed amongst the world of fame.

The ceremony was close to starting at the beautiful resort. The guests were seated, the groom stood patiently at the end of the altar with the priest, and the small orchestra was off to the side playing soothing music.

Richard had his hands clasped in front of him as he waited for the ceremony to begin. He was nervous—really nervous. He was still a teenager and getting married. But he was getting married to the absolute love of his life, and that alone was enough.

In the very front row sat his adoptive Father and his beautiful girlfriend, Selina. His butler Alfred, who was more like his grandpa, also sat in the front row. His select friends who weren't in the bridal party were sitting in the row behind them. They were the ones Richard was avoiding eye contact with.

Isaiah, Mal, Jason, Jericho, and Kole sat together and they were trying their best to make Richard laugh as he stood in front of his two-hundred guests. It wasn't entirely a favoritism thing when it came to picking his groomsmen, but he chose who he was closest with. The guys knew that too.

Richard took a deep breath and could feel the positive vibes in the air. He could also feel the love throughout the atmosphere. He didn't feel an ounce of negativity, regrets, or doubt. It was the start of a beautiful June wedding.

A few more minutes passed by and the orchestra began playing the classical music for when the wedding party walked down. Richard felt his nerves immediately watt up in his stomach as he watched the wedding party pour out of the resort and head down the aisle.

First was the flower girl and ring bearer, the daughter and son of one of Bruce's best friends. They were four and five years old; they nearly looked like twins. They did a good job of providing entertainment, for the little girl ran out of flower petals too quickly and kept pretending to throw them anyways. The little boy stuffed the small pillow that held the rings down his shirt and ran to the end. Laughs were shared throughout the crowd.

After that, the first couple to walk down was Vic and Karen. They looked perfect next to each other. Karen couldn't stop smiling, but that was more for the fact that she knew there were cameras all around. Vic was smiling too, but that was because he knew his girlfriend would kill him if he didn't.

Next was Alain and Tula. They took perfect strides, just like they'd rehearsed at the rehearsal dinner the other night. They were one of the only couples that listened to the coach. Naturally, they looked perfectly in synch.

Then, it was Jade and Wally. There couldn't have been a worse pairing. Jade was clearly smiling through clenched teeth as she death gripped Wally's arm to keep him from acting like a fool. The redheaded jokester smiled through the pain and made sure to be on his best behavior. He knew if he screwed anything up, Jade would have his head on a stick.

Richard laughed at them as they walked down. He paired them together on purpose; he knew Jade would keep Wally in check. That, and it would be a great memory to look back on and laugh about.

After them was Toni and Gar. They looked pretty goofy next to each other. Gar was shorter than Toni by a couple of inches and while his hair was green, hers was red. They looked like Christmas together. However, their smiles shined as bright as a Christmas tree.

Lastly was the maid of honor and best man: Roy and Rachel. They were no brainers for Richard and Kori when it came down to picking those prized spots. They looked content next to each other. Roy looked handsome and incredibly proper next to Rachel, who was practically glowing.

While the wedding party finished their walks down the aisle, Kori stood nervously up at the resort. It was kind of a long walk, but she'd went over this so many times in her head, she knew she'd be okay.

But there was a secret growing inside of her—quite literally too. Only minutes ago did her best friend Rachel find out about it as well. They took the few short minutes to discuss it and swore to keep it a secret until further notice, but that didn't make Kori feel any less nervous about this entire day.

She tried taking a few deep breaths and gripped her beautiful bouquet of white roses and hyacinths so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She closed her eyes for a minute, and when she opened them back up, she saw Bruce coming up to her.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she asked, "Bruce, what are you doing down here?"

He smiled gently and offered her his arm. "I figured you'd need a lift down this long aisle."

Kori looked surprised at first. She had every intention of walking down alone, and was completely fine with that. But having Bruce as an anchor was even better.

"I'd like that very much," she said. "Thank you, Bruce." She linked her arm into his and immediately felt a wave of comfort wash over her.

He patted her hand softly and said, "You're my family now, Kori. I'm not going to let you fall."

Kori smiled and knew there was a double meaning behind his kind words. Soon, the orchestra stopped playing and instead the song 'Say You Won't Let Go' by James Arthur began playing through the loudspeakers. That was Kori's cue to begin her walk towards her groom.

Kori walked with Bruce slowly and gracefully. She kept her eyes ahead on one thing: Richard. Her long train dragged elegantly behind her and she looked like a goddess walking down the aisle.

At the end of the altar, Richard couldn't stop smiling as he saw his beautiful bride. She looked more beautiful than ever. She stood out, but in a good way. Her dress complimented her skin tone perfectly. Curly strands of red hair framed her face exquisitely. He really was a lucky man.

The song tugged at his heart strings, as it did everyone else's. Richard felt tears sting in his eyes from the overwhelming emotion of pure love. That, and seeing Kori making her way to him in such a captivating way made him feel like he was on cloud nine.

When Kori finally met Richard at the altar, she gave a quick kiss on the cheek to Bruce and engulfed both of Richard's hands in her own. Her green eyes never left his blue ones. The guests seated themselves down and the priest began the introduction of the ceremony.

"We are all gathered here today as friends and family to celebrate the love between Richard John Grayson and Kori Anders…"

As the priest went on to recite the typical wedding script, Richard and Kori held each other's eyes with nothing but love and adoration. It was a beautiful thing to be witnessing at the moment, and anyone who was around could tell that, though they were young, they were quite in love.

The time came to exchange vows, which they both chose to write out their own. Richard went first but took a deep breath before starting.

"Kori, when I first met you...I wasn't exactly all that nice." Laughs from the guests erupted. Richard himself chuckled at his sad but honest truth. "But you awakened an emotion in me that had been lost for so long, and that is love." He squeezed her hands tightly and continued. "I never thought I'd be getting married at seventeen, and some might say it's for the wrong reasons or it's simply just wrong, but there is no one I'd rather be spending the rest of my life with."

He took another deep breath but it was staggered, for he was on the verge of crying himself. And even though he loved Kori, he did not want to cry—he knew the guys would give him shit for it for as long as he lived.

"You are worthy. You are beautiful, inside and out. You are kind, caring, strong in so many ways. You taught me how to be all of those things, and so much more. I promise to always protect you, always. I promise to never let you forget that you are by far the brightest star that ever burned. This I vow to you, always and forever." Richard slipped on Kori's ring and kissed her hand afterwards.

Kori then looked up and took a deep breath. She let a few tears escape her eyes, but not enough to ruin her makeup. It was now her turn to exchange her vows.

"Well, I do not know if I can match that," she said, earning her a laugh from the crowd. "But I can try." She smiled at Richard and recited the words she'd been practicing in her head for months. "Richard, I have truly never met someone like you; a man of strength, honesty, compassion, and love. You are the light that guided me through this past year, and will continue to guide me from now on. I believe I have loved you since the moment I first laid eyes on you."

Kori sniffed and didn't care at this point that the tears were coming. She bit her lip and laughed. "Even now, as we stand here in front of our loved ones, in front of so many people and cameras, all you see is me. You see who I really am, and you accept me as I am. There is no greater gift than that. I will love and cherish you till death do us part. I will keep you safe and help you in this chaotic yet beautiful life. This I vow to you, always and forever." She slipped on his wedding band and looked up at him with complete and utter joy.

The priest smiled widely and nodded approvingly. He then said, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss your bride, Mr. Grayson!"

The guests clapped and cheered and Richard gently dipped Kori and gave her a long, passionate kiss. When they pulled apart, they faced everyone and interlocked their hands together. They began heading down the altar and the wedding party followed behind.

It was a perfect ceremony, to say the least. Everything went accordingly, and there were less dry eyes than there were tear-filled ones. It was definitely a day to remember for everyone—especially Richard and Kori.

Now, it was time for the reception.

TT

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

A swarm of guys chanted in unison while Gar was being held upside down on the beer keg. The beer dripped down his mouth but it was evident he was, in fact, chugging down the bitter beverage.

When Gar was let down, he fist-pumped in the air and shouted, "WOOOOOO!" The guys all patted him on the back and cheered with him.

There was a good mixture of Richard's friends and even Bruce's friends around. Bruce already mentioned the whole underaged drinking thing to Richard and his friends once tonight. However, he didn't pick too much on the topic considering it was one night and it was a celebration.

It was already almost an hour into the reception and the ballroom in which it took place was buzzing with positive energy. The decor in the ballroom was absolutely stunning. There was a huge light chandelier hanging on the ceiling right in the center of the dance floor and colorful disco lights on either side of the DJ booth. The round tables had tall vases filled with marbles and white roses in the center. There was a photo booth in one corner as well as a popcorn machine going. There was a dessert table, lavender decor everywhere, and a slideshow of pictures of Richard and Kori on a constant loop. Everything looked amazing.

The guests, old and young, were enjoying the atmosphere. Everyone was mingling, dancing, eating, or a mixture of all three. Kori and Richard had yet to arrive and were currently upstairs in the master suite. Kori needed to change into her reception dress, a more comfortable form of attire, and Richard was waiting for her.

Richard knocked on the bathroom door and said, "Kor, hurry up! It's almost been an hour!" He leaned his forehead on the door and groaned.

"Almost ready!" Kori called as she replaced her long dangling earrings with diamond studs. She stood a deep breath and placed her hand on her stomach.

She was pregnant.

And the only person who knew about it so far was Rachel. However, it did make Kori feel better that Rachel did know about it. But she was scared, she was only seventeen years old, like Richard. It was crazy enough that they'd just gotten married—now she was pregnant.

She'd just started to feel slightly sick and hungrier a month ago. She thought it was all just the nerves considering her wedding was quickly approaching. But just at the last minute this morning, she decided on a whim to take a pregnancy test. She's been on earth long enough to know the symptoms and how the test worked.

She didn't think in a million years it'd actually be positive.

Richard would be furious, at least she was sure he would be. He wasn't ready to be a dad, just like she wasn't ready to be a mom. They'd just become husband and wife. They needed to live their lives at least another five to seven years before kids even came into the picture.

Kori promised herself she'd tell Richard she was carrying their child soon...just not too soon.

"Kori!"

She jumped at the sound of Richard's voice. She sighed and closed her eyes. She opened the bathroom door and he nearly fell over.

"I'm all ready now," she said sweetly.

Richard's eyes grew wide at the sight of his wife. Her reception dress was gorgeous. It was sheer—see-through—floor-length, and white. But underneath she wore a white bodysuit. It was not a traditional dress, or attire for that matter, but it was unique and gorgeous just like Kori. Her hair was let down, so all the red curls flew freely and cascaded down her back. She looked stunning.

"You look amazing," Richard said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her forehead gently. "I am the luckiest guy in the world."

Kori giggled. "And I am the luckiest girl." She kissed him on the lips and together, they headed down to the ballroom where all their friends and family waited.

They walked hand and hand to the elevator, down to the first floor, and approached the double-doors in which their reception was bustling behind. It was loud, and the flashing colorful lights could be seen through the doors. Two security guards were on either side of the door but when they caught sight of Richard and Kori, they greeted them.

One of the security guards said something in the tiny mic attached to his suit. Then looked at Richard and said, "They're ready for you, Mr. Grayson."

Richard nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Chuck. And please, call me Richard."

Chuck cracked the smallest of smiles. "Will do Mr. Gr—Richard."

When the doors opened, Kori and Richard walked in and the DJ announced into the microphone: "Ladies and gentlemen please give a warm and exciting welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Grayson!"

The guests cheered and clapped as Kori and Richard walked through. They gave hugs to their friends and couldn't stop beaming. They went to the center of the dance floor where they'd share their first dance.

The song for their first dance was One and Only by Adele. As the guests stood around watching the newly weds slow dance to the song, the mood settled down a bit. There were multiple photographers taking pictures from every angle, capturing the beauty of this special moment.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Richard smiled down at Kori as they swayed to the music.

"Very many times, Richard. I've never seen you smile so much in one day." She laughed at her own humor, and laughed harder when he gave her a look. "I am quite fond of your smile."

"Well," he said as he twirled her around. "There's a lot to be smiling about today. And forever...and always." He kissed her on the lips just as the song finished up.

The crowd clapped as they walked off the dance floor together. Immediately, their friends surrounded them and congratulated them.

"How does it feel to be MARRIED!?" Karen asked excitedly.

"Yeah, this is nuts you guys. Also, whoever your wedding planner is deserves a trip to somewhere tropical because damn!" Wally added as he motioned to the extravagant ballroom decor.

Richard and Kori both laughed. "Thanks guys, uh, yeah. Our wedding planner did a really good job!"

"Indeed! I love these colors!" Kori beamed.

Soon, Gar walked up with two bottles of champagne and Rachel. He was already drunk, but clearly the alcohol was not stopping him from having a good time.

"Alright lovebirds! Time to celebrate with some alcho-ma-hol!" Gar boasted and popped one of the bottles. He handed it over to Richard, who in return took a few big chugs.

Richard was on a mission to actually enjoy this night. It's been a long time since he's let loose and gotten drunk. He handed the bottle over to Kori. "Here babe," he said.

Kori's smile vanished and she looked over at Rachel. Rachel immediately saw the panic in her eyes. Kori couldn't drink any kind of alcohol because of her fresh pregnancy.

Rachel yanked the bottle out of Kori's hand. "Me first." She chugged down the beverage and once finished, let out a loud burp.

Everyone stared at Rachel in disbelief. Out of everyone, she was the one who never drank, danced, let loose—have fun. This came as a shock to everyone. But really, Rachel was doing her best friend a favor.

"Kori, you should really eat something before drinking," Rachel said.

Kori nodded, thankful for her savior. "I should! Let's go!" She grabbed Rachel's hand and dragged her away to the buffet table.

Richard and his friends shrugged and continued to drink. Soon, they made their way out onto the dance floor and showed off their best moves. Richard was already feeling the buzz.

Kori loaded her plate up with almost everything. She was starving and avoiding her friends because she knew they'd never let her go the entire night without a sip of alcohol.

Kori frantically threw chicken wings, mashed potatoes, rolls, etc. onto her plate and drenched everything in mustard. Her eyebrows were furrowed with worry and she almost started to hyperventilate.

Rachel grabbed ahold of Kori's wrist to stop her from doing anything else. "Kori. Calm down. Everything is going to be just fine."

Kori closed her eyes and set her plate down. She leaned against the table and sighed. "I do not know what to do or how to keep this from anyone. Sooner or later they are going to find out and—and—"

"Kori!" Rachel stepped in front of Kori and put her hands on her shoulders. "Stop. This is your wedding day. You should not be this strung out. It's going to be okay. No one is going to even notice that you haven't drank anything. They're all going to be too wasted to care."

"I know but…" She looked up at Rachel and bit her lip. "I don't know how to tell Richard after the wedding is over."

Rachel gave her a sympathetic look at this. She wanted to tell Kori everything was going to be just fine and that Richard was going to be excited. But she didn't want to lie to her. To be quite honest, Rachel didn't even know how Richard was going to react.

Rachel grabbed ahold of Kori's hand and squeezed it. "Let's worry about all that later. You need to enjoy tonight."

Kori nodded and smiled. She was truly grateful for Rachel. Their friendship has come such a long way in the past year. "You're right. But first, I would like to eat this plate of food. And then check out the dessert table. I am craving lots of cake."

Rachel let Kori drag her to the bride and groom table with her massive plate of food. Rachel groaned slightly and said, "Why me?"

TT

When midnight rolled around, the reception finally reached its ending point. Half of the guest list was drunk and the other half was tired. But everyone found the decency to line up along the walkway out front to hold sparklers as the bride and groom headed to their car.

Richard wanted to take Kori out of the country for their two-week honeymoon but given they were still only seventeen, he figured Florida would suffice until they were older.

They'd be going to Orlando and staying in a vacation home on the beach that Bruce owned. Security would be with them, and Richard was planning on taking Kori to Universal Studios as well. She had no idea where they were going, but anywhere outside of California would be a surprise.

As the two walked down the walkway surrounded by sparklers, friends, family, and love, they held hands and animatedly got into their car. The driver waited for Richard's cue to head to the airport.

Just before they pulled away, their friends came up to the window. Roy said, "You guys be safe now." He winked, implying another form of "being safe" in that sentence.

Richard rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. We'll see you guys when we get back."

Behind Roy, Gar was hanging onto Rachel and Jade for support. He was definitely the most drunk out of them all. "Congratsh guyzzzz...really happy for boths of yous…" his words were slurred but somewhat meaningful.

Richard and Kori laughed. They said their goodbyes and soon, the car pulled away. Off to their honeymoon they went.

The gang stayed behind after all the guests left. They'd be staying at the resort tonight, some of them would be going back to their families whereas others were welcomed to stay at Wayne Manor for the summer. A majority of them were staying at Wayne Manor, but for one last night, they'd all be together until the school year. Well, minus Kori and Richard.

"Alright well, we're going to go dunk Gar in the indoor pool!" Vic said. Him, Mal, and Wally all walked towards the resort to start sobering up their friend.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted," Karen yawned. "I'm whipping on a face mask, laying in bed, and watching Gossip Girl until I fall asleep."

"What about Vic?" Toni asked.

"Please, this whole resort to ourselves for the night? Vic and the guys will be up the rest of the night." Karen crossed her arms and snorted. She began walking inside and the girls followed behind.

Everyone but Rachel and Jason went back in to start preparing for bed—or whatever it is they wanted to do. The two stood awkwardly in silence. The night air blew through and provided a slight chill. Rachel rubbed her bare arms.

Jason took off his jacket. "Here, take this." He held it out for her.

Rachel shook her head. "No, I'm okay. Really."

Jason draped it over her shoulders anyways. The two of them then turned to look out at the night sky. Neither one of them said anything for awhile. That was how it always was when they were around each other though.

After Rachel started dating Gar, her and Jason didn't really talk. Their feelings towards one another were never discussed either. They were basically strangers with underlying emotions for each other. Jason didn't want to interfere with her happiness.

"So, how are you and Gar?" Jason finally asked without looking at her.

"We're good." Rachel stole a quick side glance at him. His jaw was tensed up. "Um, we both decided to stay at Wayne Manor for the summer. Together."

"That's nice." A pause. Then, "So you two are pretty serious then?"

"Yeah, we are."

"Good."

"Yup."

Silence engulfed the two of them once more and Rachel could feel the sudden tension in the air. She took his coat off of her shoulders and handed it to him. She then began to walk away.

Jason called out, "Why are you being like that?"

Rachel stopped and turned around. "Like what?" She asked a little too angrily. "Like I don't want to talk to you? Well it's because I don't."

Jason rolled his eyes. "What did I do wrong? You made your choice. You're happy. I'm happy for you."

"Choice?" Rachel asked incredulously. "There was never anything to choose between. Gar is my boyfriend, he's someone I care for deeply and you—"

"I'm what?" Jason stepped closer to her. "Just a stray your friends picked up off the streets? I'm what, Rachel?"

Rachel stepped towards him and pointed an accusing finger at his chest. "Don't you dare try and make it seem that way! After everything we've all been through. You're someone I care about too, Jason. Just…" she trailed off and looked away.

"Just not in that way. I get it." He sounded sad at the end. His anger was suddenly replaced with sorrow. "I get it."

Rachel closed her eyes and sighed. "Jason, I care about you. It's just, I...things would never work between us and I'm not good for you."

"Don't." His voice was stern. He took yet another step towards her until they were just a few feet apart. "Don't ever say that."

Rachel stared up at him. His grey eyes were boring into her amethyst colored ones. For a moment, it felt as if there was nothing else around them. She rubbed her lips together and swallowed.

Jason brought a hand up to her cheek. He slowly brought his lips closer to her...and then…

"Stop," she said and put a hand on his chest. "I'm with Gar."

Jason backed away from her. A look of hurt was evident on his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets and brushed past her. "Have a nice night," he said as he disappeared into the resort.

Rachel sighed and stayed outside for a little while longer. She felt bad, she really did. Truth be told, Rachel liked Jason. She had feelings for him—intimate feelings. There was infatuation there and she knew it.

But Gar was her better half. He was the one who filled her lonely existence with happiness. He captured her heart since day one.

Rachel loved Gar. She liked Jason.

However, in this very moment, she couldn't help but feel as if she didn't make the right choice. The only thing she could do, though, was bury that feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: First off guys...thank you so much for your positive reviews! I'm blown away by the positive attention 'Alliance' has already received! I am so excited to finally be putting this story out there. Get ready for so much more action, emotion, and surprises!**

 **Please REVIEW! Xoxoxo**

 **TT**

Chapter 2: Trouble in Paradise(s)

"Who's idea was this again?" Rachel asked, clearly annoyed as she grimaced in the back seat of the SUV.

In unison everyone said, "Wally's."

'Everyone' was merely half of the group. It's been two weeks since the wedding and it was as if summer vacation had just started. Roy, Jade, Vic, Rachel, Gar, Isaiah, and Wally were currently in a 7-seater SUV traveling to none other than South Padre Island, Texas.

Kori and Richard were still on their honeymoon in Florida whereas Karen wanted to spend the rest of June with her family since she'd missed the holidays with them. Toni went back to Australia for the summer, Mal was with his family, and Alain and Tula were traveling all across the west coast.

After everyone went their somewhat separate ways after the wedding, Jason packed his own bag and left with hardly a goodbye to anyone. No one has really heard from him, but he'd left a letter saying how he was on his own journey and would be back in time for the school year.

It was just the other week when the seven of them were were put in a group chat by Wally West saying how they needed to road trip to South Padre Island. At first, the only other person who complied was Gar. But after some discussion, everyone eventually agreed to it.

Isaiah was on the first shift to drive, and they were only an hour into the road trip itself. They left at seven p.m. and it was a little over a twenty-four hour trip. They'd be staying in a hotel tomorrow night before finally getting to the island. It definitely would've been easier to fly, but as Wally put it: "It's all a part of the experience."

So far, Gar was complaining he was car sick, Wally was being picky about the music, Jade was trying not to strangle Wally, and Roy really needed to pee.

"This has not been one of our best decisions!" Jade yelled as she rubbed her temples.

"Yeah, I already want jump out of the damn car." Rachel's eye twitched as she pushed a putrid-looking Gar off of her.

They planned to spend a full week on the island at a resort. It was pretty much all paid for, courtesy of Roy's fortune. After that, they'd all be staying at Wayne Manor, where Kori and Richard would finally be coming home to meet them.

It was pretty wild that almost all of them were going to spend the whole summer together after spending nearly the entire year together, but everyone who wanted to stay at Wayne Manor didn't really have close family. Plus, Bruce generously offered and was more than happy to host them for the summer.

"You guys need to stop complaining! This is a great way to start the summer!" Wally shouted from the front seat as he flipped over a map.

"Why don't you just use the GPS or your google maps?" Jade asked. "You clearly don't know how to read an actual map."

Wally didn't turn around when he said, "This makes the trip more genuine. Roy, contain your woman. She seems to obviously be PMSing."

Jade's eyes flashed with anger and she unbuckled her seatbelt. She clawed for Wally from the middle row but Roy was faster. He held her back as she flailed her arms and legs like a maniac.

Roy gritted his teeth as he kept his death grip on his pissed girlfriend. "Good going, Wally."

The redhead ignored Roy as he tried to be a navigator. From the very backseat, Vic yelled, "Man, I'm hungry! We need to stop somewhere!"

"I need to pee!"

"I need to puke…" Gar went cross-eyed as he let his head fall between his legs.

Isaiah screeched to a sudden halt which silenced everyone. The only sound was everyone's hearts threatening to beat out of their chests.

"What the fuck, Isaiah!?" Roy yelled.

"Yeah man, I almost had a damn near heart-attack!" Vic added as he put a hand on his chest.

Isaiah turned around to everyone and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry guys, a raccoon ran out in front of us."

They all groaned and slumped back into their seats. It was gonna be a very, very long drive.

TT

Kori rested her head on her arms and her arms on the toilet in front of her. Her knees were sore from kneeling on the tiled bathroom floor for ten minutes and she had a sour taste in her mouth.

She unrolled some toilet paper and wiped her mouth. Finally coming to the conclusion that she was done puking, she flushed the toilet and weakly stood up. The shower has been running the entire time, and she hoped it was enough to drown out the horrible noise of her heaving up her dinner.

Richard was downstairs cleaning up the kitchen after cooking a delicious spaghetti dinner. Kori insisted on showering before bed and just barely made it to the upstairs bathroom in time. Her 'morning sickness' hit her at just about every moon of the freaking day.

It's been two weeks of their honeymoon in Orlando, Florida. Kori has spent most of it avoiding alcohol, checking her slowly-growing stomach, and throwing up. Aside from all the aspects of her secret pregnancy, she's actually been enjoying her honeymoon.

Her favorite part of it so far has been the beach. If she could, she'd spend all day every day at the beach soaking up the warm summer sun and listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. It was practically heaven for her.

Richard has been more than sweet their entire vacation. He's taken on most of the work—work being planning everything they'd be doing for their honeymoon. He also made sure she didn't go hungry. Kori having nine stomachs didn't exactly go unnoticed, and with her carrying a child now, her cravings and hunger have been out of control.

"Babe?" Richard knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you almost done?"

Kori perked up and quickly stripped down. She hopped in the shower and poked her head around the curtain. "I still need a few minutes! The water feels nice!"

Richard smirked. "Mind if I join?"

Kori bit her bottom lip. She wanted to say yes—like really wanted to say yes. But she needed to do some thinking in the shower and would not be able to do that with Richard distracting her.

Let's just say their sex life has been pretty active since tying the knot.

"I—I'll be done in, like, two minutes!" Kori called and felt guilty for basically turning him down. However, she'd make up for it later tonight.

Every day that passed between the two of them, Kori felt even worse about keeping such a big secret from him. She didn't know how to tell him. She was so scared and felt extremely alone. But she was carrying his child—their child. She knew she needed to tell him.

Eventually, Kori was going to start showing and it was going to get to the point to where she didn't just look like she "put on a couple pounds". That, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep hiding the fact that she's puking her brains out three or four times a day.

How could they be so reckless?

Being an alien and all never really made pregnancy seem like a huge deal here on earth. Back on Tamaran, it was pretty normal. But on earth, teenagers were not supposed to have babies. Just like they weren't supposed to get married at such a young age.

Richard was going to flip.

Kori stepped out of the bathroom about five minutes later in nothing but a towel. She walked into the master bedroom of the beautiful beach house they were staying in (Bruce owned it). Richard was lying on the bed scrolling through his phone.

"Look what Roy sent me," he chuckled as he showed Kori his phone. A picture of Roy and their friends crammed in the car, everyone with a different expression on their face, was present on the phone.

Kori giggled. "I miss our friends terribly."

"So do I." Richard set his phone down on the nightstand and motioned for Kori to come lay by him. "But we'll be seeing them in a week or so."

Kori climbed onto the bed and laid into Richard's warm embrace. She was still sopping wet, but he clearly didn't care. "Have you heard from friend Jason?"

"No. But I trust he is doing good."

"Me too."

Silence engulfed between them and Kori swallowed hard. Now would be a perfect time to tell him. Now. Right this very moment. Any minute now. Right where she has him.

"I—I want to have sexual intercourse!" Kori blurted out. Her cheeks immediately flushed red and she mentally smacked herself.

Way to go, Kori. The exact opposite of what you should be doing. The very thing that led you to this predicament!

"Well what are you waiting for?" Richard said as he slowly removed her towel. A sly smile crossed his face as he stared at his beautiful wife. "Come here."

Kori smiled a guilty yet pleasured smile. She decided that she'll just have to tell him the news tomorrow.

Another day wouldn't hurt.

TT

Gar sat on the plush hotel bed with his head in his hands. He felt like complete ass. Mostly from the car ride but he also just felt sick. It was very odd for him to get sick in the summer.

Everyone was at the hotel pool, relaxing and enjoying the sun. He, however, wanted nothing more than to take a nap for five years. That sounded good.

They still had about few more hours of travel time before reaching South Padre, but for now they'd reached their one-night stay hotel. It was a five-star, room-serviced, six-story hotel. Just walking into the lobby sent a wave of comfort throughout the guests' bodies.

There was a knock at the door before Rachel came in. She had on a loose black T-shirt over her black two-piece swimsuit. Her book was of course in her hand along with a small beach bag. She also had on Black shades and a big black floppy hat. Sun wasn't really her thing.

"Feeling okay?" She asked Gar. She walked over to him and sat down on the bed.

Gar shrugged. "Not really. I feel like crap."

"Yeah, you don't look too hot." She put her hand on his forehead and grimaced. "But you feel hot."

Gar wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooo, I love it when you talk dirty to me."

Rachel smacked him. "Even when you feel like shit you still know how to be annoying."

"You love me." Gar made a kissy face at her. "You loveeeeeeeee me."

"Hate you."

"LOVE ME!" He tackled her onto the bed and nuzzled his face into her neck.

Rachel couldn't resist a laugh and screamed out loud. She was a little ticklish and Gar just being this close to her made her feel all kinds of excitement. She tried pushing him off but he latched onto her like a slap bracelet.

"Garfield!" She yelled as he attempted to tickle her. "I will kill you!"

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Rae!" Gar straddled her and refused to let up. His toothy grin made her blush.

Rae. She hated that nickname at first and he was the only person who she let call her that. It sounded angelic coming from him. Anyone else—it just sounded annoying.

Gar sighed and flopped back down onto the bed. He shut his eyes and frowned. He groaned slightly and flipped onto his side.

Rachel grimaced. She sat up and rubbed his back. A sudden idea popped into her head but she didn't exactly know how to go about it.

"Maybe...I can try something," she said quietly.

Gar kept his eyes closed as he said, "I've taken, like, every medicine on this planet already."

Rachel shook her head. "No, it's not really medicine."

Gar opened one eye. "What is it then?"

Rachel crossed her legs on the bed and took a deep breath as she examined Gar's body. She could definitely tell he was sick. He was pale, his lymph nodes were swollen, and he was weak. His body lacked any sort of strength—minus the tickle sesh he just pulled—and his breathing was staggered.

Rachel hated him seeing like this. She said, "I can try and heal you."

Gar perked up at this. "Really? I mean, I trust you. Do you trust you?"

"For the most part."

He quirked an eyebrow. "That didn't sound promising."

Rachel cracked the smallest of smiles. "Sit up." She patted the spot next to her. She was confident in herself. She's healed things before...not really people but she was sure she could do it.

Rachel was a lot more powerful than she thought.

Gar was in need. Gar was someone she cared deeply for and if he was the only person she could ever heal, she'd take it.

"Just...just close your eyes and stay still," Rachel demanded gently. When he did as he was told, she slowly placed her hands on both of his temples.

Gar took a deep breath and said nothing. She closed her own eyes and concentrated. Soon, a different kind of energy tingled at her fingertips. It started there, then carried its way through her actual fingers, down her arms, and soon, throughout her entire body.

Rachel has never felt this kind of energy before. It was a good feeling. It was refreshing. She only hoped it was the same for Gar. He was quiet on his end as she let her power flow through him.

She could feel her short black hair flowing around her. It felt as if her and Gar were the only two people on this earth right now. Her eyes were shut, but she could see light. Bright white light. Sparkles glistening in that light. Gar's hand holding hers. She was healing him.

A smile creeped onto her face. "I think it's working," she whispered.

Gar smiled as well and could already feel his immune system strengthening. He could feel the tingling throughout his body, and warmth from Rachel's gentle touch.

All of a sudden, Rachel's bright vision turned dark and a beast with the sharpest fangs snapped at her. It growled and clawed at her vision. Blood red was the color she saw now.

Rachel screamed and felt herself being thrown back into the TV stand. She winced at the instant pain and snapped her eyes open. Her breathing increased and she was trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

Gar was at her side in an instant. "Rachel!" He crouched down next to her. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" He helped her up immediately.

Rachel nodded but rubbed her side. She looked all around the room to see if anything was out of place. She was searching for answers as to what the hell just occurred. One minute she was seeing practically heaven as she healed her boyfriend and the next it was disputed by some...beast.

"Are you sure you're okay, Rachel?" Gar asked, clearly concerned for her. He ran a hand through her hair. "I mean, I feel better but I don't think you should ever try that again."

"Gar, I'm fine," she said and sighed. "Really, I'm okay."

"Yeah but you clearly overused your powers or something."

Rachel shook her head. "No, I'm okay. Just—just don't tell anyone about this. Especially Richard."

Gar gave her an uneasy look but nevertheless agreed to keep quiet. He knew if he said anything about this to Richard, not only would Rachel kill him but she'd be cooped up in the lab at Wayne manor getting hundreds of tests done. They didn't need that.

"Let's just go back to the pool, okay?" Rachel said.

Gar blinked and took a deep breath. He nodded uneasily and said, "Yeah, okay. Sure."

They headed that way but Rachel couldn't get the terrible image of the horrid beast out of her mind. It was scary and sent chills throughout her body. She just had no idea where the hell that came from or what it meant.

All she knew was she'd be burying that moment in the deepest, darkest pit of her mind. That, and she wouldn't be healing anyone again anytime soon.

TT

They made it. It's been a long almost forty-eight hours filled with what felt like a thousand stops, bickering, sickness, and fast food, but the gang finally made it to South Padre Island.

"I can't believe we're actually here!" Jade said as she stared out the window at the beautiful resort they were staying at.

"Yeah, you're welcome," Wally retorted. "I'm a genius."

Jade snorted as they parked the car. "Uh-huh. Far from it actually."

They all got out of the car, stretched their stiff limbs, and breathed in the summer air. The smell of the ocean wafted through the air and from their resort, they could see just how blue the ocean was. Palm trees were everywhere, the sand looked like sugar, and there were more people in bathing suits walking around than actual clothes.

"So, what should we do first?" Isaiah asked as he opened the trunk.

"I think we should head up to our suites, relax a little, and then spend the day at the beach," Jade said.

They all agreed to that. It'd been a long day, and it was about three in the afternoon and it was safe to say they were all pretty exhausted. A day at the beach sounded perfect.

The seven of them checked in and took the elevator up to the sixth floor. It was a long ways up but they had the ultimate master suite. There were three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, a living area with a sixty-inch flat screen, a kitchen with a bar area, and a balcony that overlooked the beautiful beach.

The resort itself put a nice dent in Roy's credit card, but he knew it didn't affect him all that much. The resort also included three meals a day in the dining area and it had a fitness center, pool—indoor and outdoor—hot tub, and spa. A one week stay here was sure to do them some good.

Once they got up to the suite, they were all in awe at how massive and delicate everything looked. There were two king beds—one in each room—and two queen beds in the last room. Naturally, the two couples on the trip would be sharing the king beds. But then the problem of who'd be sleeping with who between the three guys arose.

"I am not sleeping with either one of y'all!" Vic said matter-of-fact as he crossed his big arms over his chest.

"Well I'm the one who planned the trip!" Wally countered. "I should get my own bed!"

"Hey, you would've been on this trip alone if it hadn't been for any of us!" Isaiah yelled.

"That is the dumbest excuse I've ever heard!" Wally pointed an accusing finger at Isaiah's chest.

"Oh now you wanna talk about all things dumb!" Vic added. "I'll show you the dumbest thing I've ever seen!" He looked Wally up and down, implying that he was, in fact, the dumbest thing.

While the three of them bickered and argued, it got to the point where it was about to become physical. Vic was trying to grab ahold of Wally but Wally was too fast for him. Isaiah jumped onto Vic's back and Wally seized his chance to grab ahold of Isaiah's leg. They were trampling around the suite, and if they kept it up something was bound to break.

"ENOUGH!" Rachel yelled and her eyes flashed a dark black. In an instant, her black magic poured out of her like three hands. Each 'hand' plucked Wally, Vic, and Isaiah away from each other.

The three of them stared in shock at Rachel. It looked like they'd just seen a ghost. Rachel crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes before speaking.

"We have to be on this trip together for a week and it will not be ruined simply because you imbeciles can't grow up and figure out your sleeping arrangements. Keep it up and you'll all three be sleeping outside. Got it?" Rachel's voice didn't waver once.

They all three nodded obediently. Behind Rachel, Roy put his hands on her shoulders and cracked a laugh. "I'm so glad we brought you." He patted her shoulders and pulled Jade away to one of the bedrooms.

In the end, Wally ended up sleeping on the pull out couch in the bedroom with them queen beds, much to his dismay. But there was some kind of agreement where they'd take turns with the nice beds. Who knew if that would actually happen.

Vacation has officially begun.

TT

Terra stared blankly out the window in her bedroom. The sky was dark and the stars seemed dull tonight. Coyotes howled in the distant making it harder to get any sleep.

But Terra didn't sleep much these nights. Her tiny, one-bedroom apartment was anything but cozy. She was alone with no one to talk to and nothing to do but sulk. She was depressed and lost.

The summer has just begun and she resided in the bad part of Porter, California. She dreaded the new school year. She had nothing to look forward to and no one to see.

Well, there was one person…

Garfield Logan peaked her interest the second she met him. He was goofy, quirky, and cute. He made her feel like a real person too. Terra genuinely liked Gar. But after Rachel Roth awoke from her deep slumber, he forgot about her. He forgot about the time they spent together.

Terra clenched her fists and her eyes glowed yellow. She scowled into the night as Rachel's face drifted through her clouded mind. She hated her. She absolutely despised her. Rachel Roth seemed to be the root of all her problems.

She turned around and walked over to her dresser. She slowly opened the third drawer and pushed aside the old T-shirts she stored in there. Underneath all of them, a cracked, dirt-covered mask lay there. It was half orange and half black.

"Slade…" Terra whispered as she swallowed back tears.

Slade was the only person who cared about Terra. Their time together meant everything to her and she was devastated when it was cut short. She hasn't had anybody to take care of her in years, and when she met Slade, all of that changed.

He showed her how to use her powers in ways she never imagined. He provided her with this apartment; it was small but it was shelter and kept her safe. He gave her a way out of the lost life she was living before.

Now he was gone. And she was lost all over again.

"I will avenge you." Terra's words were laced with malice. She could feel the fire of revenge burning in her stomach.

Terra walked over to her closet and opening it up. She split her clothes down the middle on the rack to reveal a suit. It wasn't just any suit—it was one that Slade designed specifically for her. And as she stood in front of it, she couldn't help but feel as if it were a second layer of skin for her.

"I'm going to destroy the Teen Titans. Even if it's the last thing I do."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: For Better or For Worse

"I don't know...yeah, man. Yeah. She hasn't stopped throwing up since yesterday morning…"

Kori could hear Richard on the phone in the bathroom from her spot on the bed. Her head was spinning, her body ached, and her throat was raw from all the hurling she's been doing in the past thirty six hours.

It didn't take a genius to know that this was far more complicated than morning sickness. Kori knew she was severely sick, which never happened considering she was from a whole other planet. She was hoping she'd be better by, well, yesterday.

Richard was pacing the room anxiously. He kept glancing over at Kori, clearly worried that her condition would spiral even more downward any minute. He was on the phone with Roy, who was letting Jade listen in as well.

Roy didn't know what exactly to say other than he was sorry and he hoped she felt better. However, he threw in the idea of her going to the hospital and Jade agreed to that. Richard was on board for that idea as well but there was just one problem:

Kori refused to go to the hospital.

She knew if she went, Richard would find out about her being pregnant, thus finding out that she'd lied to him about it. She could pretend to think she didn't know either but the guilt would eat her alive.

Kori quickly rolled over to throw up in the trash can next to the bed. She felt the acid-like substance burn her throat. Her eyes watered and her back felt like it was going to break any second now.

She hasn't eaten in the last day and a half. They still had a few more days left at the beach house, but if she didn't get help now, the rest of her honeymoon was going to be nothing but a nightmare.

"Kori, please…" Richard begged as he sat down by her and rubbed her back. "Please let me take you to the hospital. There's obviously something seriously wrong with you."

Tears burned in Kori's eyes. She was scared. Scared of a hospital given she's never been to one before, scared for her baby's life, and scared of how Richard was going to react once he found out she was pregnant. No matter what happened next, it was a lose-lose.

At this point, all Kori cared about was her baby's life.

"Okay…" she managed to muster out. "Okay, Richard."

He smiled a little and immediately got on his phone to have the car ready. He then made a call to the head of his security to make sure no one would be bothering them on the way there. No paparazzi, no fans...he didn't want to crowd Kori when she was already this sick.

"Do you think you can walk?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I can barely breathe, Richard."

He swallowed hard and nodded. She only had on sweat pants and a tank top. He helped her put on a light jacket and some shoes. He then tied her hair up in a ponytail and gently picked her up bridal style.

He carried her down the stairs, where he met hishead of his security, Chuck. "Please get her to the car while I grab a few things," he said.

Chuck nodded and carried Kori out to the car. Richard went back upstairs to grab her favorite blanket, an extra change of clothes, and her phone. Then, with a heavy heart and worried mind, he ran back out to the car.

He prayed to God she was okay.

TT

Richard sat at Kori's bedside waiting for her to wake up. She was stable, with an IV in her arm and an oxygen mask on. It was nearing ten at night, and he was exhausted. He was fighting sleep; he didn't want to miss the chance of Kori waking up.

He's been waiting on the doctor for hours to come back with her test results. He had know idea what was wrong with her or what could be wrong. His best guess was she had food poisoning.

They'd cleared the air that she was an alien. It wasn't a secret that supernatural beings roamed earth, but it was pretty spectacular to have one in the hospital. But she had human blood in her as well, which meant she was prone to getting sick sometimes.

Richard took a deep breath and decided to go down to the hospital's cafeteria to grab some coffee. On his way there, his phone began ringing. He took it out and saw that it was Roy.

"Hey," he answered blandly.

"You sound upset," Roy said. "Are you upset? And if you are, why?"

Richard sighed as he pressed the down button to the elevator. "Kori is stable but the damn doctor hasn't came in yet to tell me what's wrong with her."

On the other end, Roy was laying in bed with Jade. He'd informed everyone about Kori and they've patiently been waiting to hear about her as well. Now, everyone but Roy and Jade were asleep.

"I'm sorry, man. I hope she's okay," Roy replied. "We all hope she's okay."

Richard entered the cafeteria and was thankful that it was empty. When he arrived at the hospital earlier, he kept a pretty low profile. But later on people began recognizing who he was and started to ask for pictures as well as autographs.

Let's just say Richard was so done with today.

"I'll call you guys tomorrow. I probably won't hear anything til late anyways," Richard said.

"Alright, dude. Sounds good. We'll be up early tomorrow. Goodnight, Rich." There was a click and Roy's voice was no longer there.

Richard sighed and shoved his phone in his back pocket. He grabbed a disposable coffee cup and filled it up with the hot beverage. He usually used creamer, but for some reason drinking it black sounded a lot better.

After getting some caffeine, he traveled back up to the third floor where Kori was located. When he walked in, he saw the doctor standing there with a nurse and a clipboard full of papers in one hand. The doctor turned to him with a look of worry.

Richard's heart sunk just by looking at the doctor's face. He knew he didn't have any good news. He set his coffee down and walked towards them. "What's wrong with my wife?"

The doctor sighed and glanced nervously at the nurse standing next to him. He flipped through his clipboard and his eyebrows furrowed. He looked back up at Richard and said, "Mr. Grayson, it's no secret to us that your wife is an extraterrestrial being with magnificent qualities."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"With her enhanced abilities, anytime she catches a sickness, disease, etcetera, that certain sickness is enhanced as well. Meaning it's about three times worse than it would be in a human," the doctor explained. He handed the clipboard to the nurse and clasped his hands in front of him.

Richard stared at the doctor and felt...angry? He looked away and said, "So, how severe is this? Better yet, what is wrong with her?"

The doctor took a light breath before saying, "Your wife has a kidney infection. To us, it's pretty severe so we'll treat it that way. But to her, being not your typical human being, it's a minor sickness. She should be well enough to go home in a couple days."

Richard let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. A weight lifted off of his shoulders. That wasn't great news, but it wasn't as bad as he thought. She'd be okay in about two days. He expected to be stuck her for a week.

Richard smiled and walked over to grab Kori's hand. He kissed her hand and looked up at the doctor. "Thanks, Doc. Really, you have no idea how good it is to hear something positive. Well, somewhat positive." He laughed a little unsteadily.

The doctor still looked worried and kept giving nervous glances to the nurse next to him. It looked as if he still had bad news to tell him. Richard suspected this immediately.

"Is...is there something else wrong?" Richard asked. He could usually tell when people were hiding something. This doctor and nurse definitely did not have good poker faces.

The doctor swallowed hard and rubbed the back of his neck. "Mr. Grayson, are you aware that your wife is...pregnant?"

Richard thought he heard the doctor wrong.

He had to.

There was no way.

"I—huh? What did you just say?" Richard laughed slightly and stumbled backwards.

The doctor looked uneasy. "Your wife is nearly two months pregnant."

Richard felt like his heart dropped right out of his ass. His whole world was spinning and he somehow found his way to the chair by Kori's bed. Processing this sudden news was like trying to find a needle in a haystack—nearly impossible.

"Are you shitting me?" Richard suddenly said, surprising even himself. "Is this a joke?"

The doctor shook his head. "This is no joke, Mr. Grayson. And with your wife having a kidney infection, it could've done some damage to your baby's health. Luckily, the baby is fine. You guys got really lucky. I just thought you should know that."

Richard was in shock. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly agape, and the doctors words seemed muffled. He heard the doctor say something about giving him space and within the next few seconds, there was just him and Kori in the room.

He was angry, sad, worried, and confused all at once. How could Kori keep this from him? She had to have known. It all made sense now: why she didn't want to go to the hospital in the first place, all the frequent trips to the bathroom, her sudden eating habits, not drinking any alcohol. All the signs were right in front of him and he was just now finding out.

He just wished he was finding out from his wife.

Actually, to be quite honest, he wished this whole thing was one big prank. Right now, it just felt like one big smack to the face.

He wasn't ready to be a father. They just got married and they were hardly even ready for that. How were they supposed to finish school? How were they supposed to be heroes? The Titans—what would happen to them? Richard was their leader and he couldn't fight crime while tending to a newborn baby.

His world has been flipped upside down. He couldn't believe this. He couldn't even look at Kori right now. How could she not tell him? He felt...betrayed.

"Richard?"

He snapped his head over to Kori, who was stirring awake. She blinked slowly and gave him a weak smile. He walked over to her and bent down to kiss her forehead.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked. He pushed aside any negative feelings he had for a minute and focused on his wife.

"I'm tired, but I do feel better already," she said. She smiled up at him and ran her hand through his hair. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." He stood up and turned his back on her. "I'm just tired. Our friends called earlier to see how you were doing."

Kori sat up and cringed while doing so. "I miss them. How are they doing?"

Richard shrugged. "I'm guessing pretty good. They're enjoying their time at the resort."

"Good." Kori suddenly frowned and looked down. She played with the pulse ox on her finger and bit her lip. "I am sorry I ruined this honeymoon."

Richard furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "Kori, it's not your fault you got sick. The doctors said you should be able to leave in a couple of days. We still have time to enjoy the rest of this trip." He walked over to her and brushed back her hair.

Kori smiled and melted into his warm hand. For a split second, all her worries went away and she enjoyed this simple moment. She couldn't wait to go home and sleep in her bed with her husband. That sounded amazing right about now.

Her body was exhausted but the antibiotics running through her system seemed to be working really well. She felt a lot better than she did a few hours ago. She was even kind of hungry.

Richard suddenly pulled away, leaving Kori disappointed. He walked over to the window with his hands in his pockets. His jaw clenched, and he debated whether or not to bring up her pregnancy. The thought of it just made him mad all over again.

Kori sensed his sudden mood change and asked, "Are you okay?"

Richard didn't say anything for a moment. He kept his back faced to her, his body was tensed up. He took a deep breath and turned around to face her. His face didn't look settle or happy in the slightest bit.

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant, Kori?" It sounded more like a demand than it did a question.

Kori felt her heart skip a few beats. Her pulse immediately rose and she looked away from him clearly ashamed. She closed her eyes and said, "The doctor told you."

"Yeah, he did. I wish you would've told me," he said.

"I-I tried. Or, I mean, I was going to."

"When, Kori?" Richard demanded, his voice rising with every word. "This isn't something you can just brush off."

Kori closed her eyes. "I know that. I do, Richard. It's been very hard keeping this from you and I—"

"And you were just gonna wait until your stomach looked like a basketball to tell me?"

She flinched at his harsh words and spiteful tone. "You do not understand what I've been feeling. This hasn't been easy for me in the slightest bit."

Kori took a few deep breaths but could feel her anger rising. She was getting mad and frustrated that Richard wasn't being understanding at all. This couldn't have gone worse.

Richard crossed his arms and sighed. "I'm sorry, Kori. You're right. I don't understand because you didn't tell me earlier."

Kori shook her head. "Maybe it's because I knew you'd be angry either way."

"How could anyone be calm in a situation like ours? We're seventeen! We just got married!" Richard realized how ridiculous he sounded. But it was the truth and he wanted Kori to hear it.

Kori felt tears sting in her eyes. She just kept her mouth shut. She didn't say anything, only endured the words Richard was saying to her. Her heart hurt and she truly didn't know what to say.

Soon, the tears spilled over and she began to sob. All the emotion she had built up for the past couple of months was finally being let out. She went from letting a few tears fall to all out sobbing.

Richard's face fell at the sight of Kori being so upset. The mood change was instant and he felt bad. Regret filled him and he rushed to her side. He sat down on the bed and immediately wiped her tears away.

"Kori, please don't cry. I'm sorry," he said as he stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, I know this couldn't have been easy on you. It's not fair of me to take it out on you when you've been going through this alone for two months."

Kori sniffed and nodded. Maybe he did understand. She felt her lips start swell from the two minutes of ugly crying she'd just perfected.

Richard grabbed a few tissues and dabbed her eyes gently. "We will get through this. I just...it's just a lot to take in but the good thing is that there's a way to get rid of it."

Kori's heart completely stopped for a whole three seconds. She couldn't believe her ears. It? Get rid of? Was this even her husband speaking?

Kori looked up at Richard with a grave face. "Excuse me?"

Richard quirked an eyebrow. He looked at her as if he had no idea why she was questioning him. "What?"

Kori sat up and felt her blood boil. "You do not even want to consider keeping our child?"

"Kori—"

"You just called him or her an 'it.' You do not think I am aware of what an abortion is? Well I am, Richard. And I will not do that to my child," she spat. She clenched her fists and unclenched them. She couldn't even believe him right now.

"Kori, we're seventeen years old. We still have another year left of high school not to mention a team to think about. You can't honestly think having a baby will work with all of that?"

Kori threw the scratchy hospital blanket off of her and ripped the IV out of her arm. She stood up angrily and looked at her husband. "We are seventeen, but need I remind you we are also married at seventeen? I could not care less about school or what the team thinks. This is my decision and my child and I WILL NOT destroy him or her!" Her eyes glowed green and her hair began lifting around her.

Richard took a step back but kept his cool. He took a deep breath. "We just need to think about this. It's been a long day, we both need rest. We can talk about it tomorrow."

"No, Richard. There is nothing to talk about. I'm keeping our baby, whether you like it or not." Kori turned her back on him, refusing to let him see another round of tears from her.

Kori couldn't believe Richard was even considering getting rid of their child. She felt like she wasn't even talking to the same guy she fell in love with. The whole pregnancy thing was a lot to take in, she understands that, but she would've thought Richard would eventually learn to be comfortable with it.

Richard said nothing, he simply stared at Kori. He ran a hand down his face and sighed. Then, he shook his head, turned on his heel, and walked out the door.

Kori felt her breath catch in her throat. She covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut at the tears began to fall again. She sat back down on the bed and held her stomach.

Kori felt alone for the first time in a long time.

TT

"He said what?" Rachel asked incredulously over the phone.

On the other end, Kori sniffed and said, "It was like he didn't want to think twice about keeping the baby."

Rachel shook her head, shocked that Richard would say such a thing. She knew the whole pregnancy thing wasn't going to be all rainbows and butterflies when he finally found out about it, but she definitely didn't think he'd consider an abortion.

Rachel switched the phone to the other ear as she stood out on the balcony of their suite. Down below, she could see her friends at the pool. The guys were messing around while Jade was trying to catch a tan.

"I'm sorry, Kori. That honestly surprises me," Rachel said.

"Me as well. We haven't been speaking a lot since I got back from the hospital the other night. In fact, he slept in the guest bedroom last night."

Rachel's eyebrows raised in surprise. That was definitely a shock. She truly felt bad for Kori. She was pregnant, her honeymoon practically became a nightmare for the last week, and now her husband isn't acting like her husband.

Rachel leaned onto the railing of the balcony and could hear Kori silently crying on the other end. "That is definitely not how you start off a marriage. Maybe I can try talking to him?"

"Maybe," Kori said. "I just...I do not know what to do. We come home in two days but he won't even speak to me."

"Don't worry. I will call him. I'll talk to you later, Kori," Rachel reassured her.

Kori said her goodbyes, there was a click, and she was gone. Rachel stuffed her phone in her back pocket and walked back into the suite. She headed to hers and Gar's room and grabbed her laptop.

Rachel figured this 'talk' with Richard needed to be as face-to-face as possible. So, she decided to skype him. She opened up her laptop and sat down on the bed. Hopefully, no one would barge in on her during this important talk.

The Skype call rang for about thirty seconds before Richard's face popped up on the screen. The connection wasn't all that great, but it was good enough to make out both of their faces. Rachel could tell almost instantly that Richard was miserable.

"You look like shit," she said.

He scoffed. "Hello to you too."

"How's your wife?" Rachel asked, cutting right to the chase. She crossed her arms and narrowed her amethyst eyes at him.

Richard rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "I'm guessing you already spoke to her?"

"Someone has to," Rachel replied. "So what, you guys are married for a few weeks and you already have problems?" She was only partially joking.

"It's more complicated than that…" he trailed off, not knowing that Rachel already knows about the pregnancy. "Listen, don't tell anyone but...Kori is, um, she's uh…"

"Pregnant? Yeah, I know," Rachel blurted. "I'm her best friend, are you surprised?"

Richard's eyes went wide for a split second before realizing that Rachel was right. She was Kori's best friend. It was only natural to have told someone other than him. He also trusted that Rachel didn't tell anyone.

"Don't worry," Rachel said. "I haven't told anyone and I'm not going to. It's not my place."

"Thank you." Richard ran a hand through his hair and groaned. "Man, Rach. We really screwed up."

She laughed a little at that. "Yeah, just a tish. But hey, being married at seventeen isn't exactly normal. At this point, I don't think anything can really come as a huge shock to anyone."

"I beg to differ," he countered. "And she wants to keep it."

Rachel blinked at his choice of words. Now she fully realized why Kori was so upset. "It? You do realize that's an actual human being you're talking about, right? To be more specific, your child."

Rachel didn't care if she sounded harsh. She actually hoped she did. She loved Richard in a brotherly way, and she cared a lot about him and Kori. Hearing him talk like this was not okay with her and it definitely wasn't okay for him to speak to his wife like this.

Richard stared at Rachel. His face was emotionless mostly because he knew she was right. He said, "I know. I know that. I just—I'm not ready to be a father! I was barely ready to be a husband!"

"And do you think Kori was ready to be a wife? Much less a mother? Of course not. The girl is from a whole other planet for crap's sake. But she's still dealing with this situation with her entire heart. You're being an ass."

Richard glared at her. "I'm being realistic."

"No," Rachel retorted. "You're being a dick. Your wife needs you more than ever right now and you're missing the big picture. You guys made a choice to bind your hearts together forever and if you can't get past this, then you better get out the divorce papers."

Divorce.

That was a word that haunted Richard since the night he proposed to Kori. He didn't ever want to have that word brought up in his and Kori's relationship.

"No," Richard said. He sighed and closed his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, Rachel was right. He was being a complete ass but…

There shouldn't be any buts.

"I gotta go, Rich. But you better straighten things out with your wife or I'll personally shove my foot up your ass," Rachel said.

He nodded and gave her the smallest of smiles. "Thanks, Rachel. Will do…"

Richard had a lot of thinking to do, but in the end, he knew his heart belonged with Kori. Whatever happens, happens and he will deal with it in the most positive way he can. Now, he just needed to find his wife.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Bump in The Night

 _2 weeks later_

Wayne manor was completely still on this late summer night. Inside, nine teenagers were spread throughout the enormous home. A certain orange-haired boy and a beautiful Asian were watching a movie in the home theatre while a red-headed speedster was snoring in his room three doors down. One floor up, three teenage boys were getting heated over a video game while the newly weds of the house were cuddling in their own bed while watching the hit TV series known as Game of Thrones.

Lastly, a dark-haired empath sat in the large library of the manor flipping through a bunch of books. Her mind was clouded as she was still recovering over what had happened with her shape-shifting boyfriend in their hotel room a couple of weeks ago.

Ever since Rachel had cured Gar of his slight sickness while they were on vacation, she's noticed he's been even _more_ chipper than usual. It was almost as if she healed every part of him—physically and mentally. But the horrific beast she saw when she performed what she had never done for anyone before still haunted her in her sleep.

She was worried, to say the least, of what exactly that vision meant. And even though it was summer, even though she wanted to relax and enjoy this break from school with her friends, she needed to find answers.

So far, she's red countless books on Healing Powers and hasn't found much that she didn't already know. She even looked into Werewolves after seeing...whatever it was that she saw while healing Gar. Rachel couldn't really think of anything else.

Rachel sat up and sighed heavily. She closed her eyes as a light rain shower began to pour down on Gotham. Her thoughts wandered away from all things books and beasts. One of the last times she'd set foot in this library she was with Jason.

Her heart tightened.

"Hey."

Rachel jumped and whipped her head up to see Richard standing there. She narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

He smirked. "No. What's up?"

"Nothing really." She nonchalantly tossed the book she had on werewolves off to the side, hoping he didn't notice what the genre was so questions weren't asked. "Where's your wife?"

"Upstairs sleeping," he replied with a smile.

"Any more puking?"

"No, just more weird cravings." He laughed and sat down in front of her cross-legged. "I really think I fall more in love with her every day."

Rachel looked down and smiled. Just two weeks ago, Kori and Richard reached a bump—literally—in their relationship. He was dead set on not being a father at seventeen but once Rachel shed a little light on the subject, his mind was put at ease. Now, him and Kori were even stronger to this day.

Word about her pregnancy spread like a wildfire to their friends. They were trying to keep it between them so the media wouldn't find out. Kori didn't need that kind of stress right now. Everyone was really excited, especially Wally. For some reason, he thinks he'll be the favorite uncle.

Bruce and Selina were extremely supportive, even all the way in the Bahamas. They made it clear that they'd be there for the both of them with everything going on. They'd also said as soon as they got back from their vacation they'd find her a permanent doctor and what not. Overall, Kori has felt a lot better about being pregnant and married.

"Life is crazy, you know?" Richard said suddenly. "I mean, I'm a husband and in seven months I'll be a father."

"Yeah, that's pretty crazy. You'll do great, though, Rich. We're all here for you guys."

Richard smiled at her. "How are you doing?" He lowered his eyes slightly. "Really, Rachel. How _are_ you doing?"

Rachel's own smile vanished. This would've been a perfect opportunity to tell him that she was a little on edge after healing her boyfriend and seeing a terrible beast with blood red eyes in return. But truthfully, she was scared to tell him. Mainly because she didn't want anyone to freak out and her end up being hooked up to a bunch of machines for tests.

Instead, she nodded and said, "I'm good. Just trying to cope with my PTSD." She was half-joking.

Richard couldn't help but crack a smile. "I don't blame you. We had a rough year."

"You can say that again."

They both sat and conversed for about twenty more minutes until the need for sleep set in. Then, they wished each other a goodnight and set off for their rooms. The rain beat down even harder as midnight rolled around.

Richard headed back upstairs to Kori, where he knew she'd be sound asleep. The thought of it brought a mere smile to his face. He was even pretty tired himself. He let a yawn escape his mouth.

Just when he rounded the corner on the third floor, a hand reached out and grabbed him. Instincts kicked in as he grabbed the person's arm and pinned it behind their back. He then yanked the person backwards in attempt to enforce more pain.

"Agh! Dude, let go!" Roy cried out.

Richard realized his mistake and immediately released his friend. "Roy, what the hell are you doing sneaking up on me like that? You should know better."

Roy rubbed his arm and grimaced. "First of all, I wasn't sneaking up on you. Geez, man. Do you ever take a day off?"

"Not really. Maybe you shouldn't either." Richard smirked and crossed his muscular arms over his chest.

Roy didn't laugh or even smile. Instead, his face grew grave and he took a step closer to Richard. He looked around nonchalantly and motioned for Richard to follow him down the hall.

"Roy…?" Richard asked curiously.

"Someone is in the house," Roy whispered. "And they weren't invited."

TT

Richard's first thought was to run to Kori to make sure she was safe. But as much as he wanted to do that, he couldn't be reckless in a situation like this.

"How do you know?" Richard asked as he kept himself calm.

Roy pulled them into a room. "I was going downstairs to get something to drink and I saw a person slip past the entryway. They looked quick and I couldn't tell if it was a man or woman. I called out but got no answer."

Richard's jaw tensed as he listened. If someone were truly in the house, they were running out of time to keep everyone safe. He had no idea how someone got past the gate, security, and alarm systems. It was literally impossible unless granted access.

"Are you sure it wasn't one of our friends? Or Alfred? You have to be sure before we take action, Roy," Richard said.

"I'm positive, Rich. I tried to follow the person to see who it was but by the time I stepped past the entryway, I saw nothing. I heard footsteps, then none, and then I came straight to you."

Richard could tell Roy was being serious. He wished he weren't. Everyone was asleep by now and Richard didn't want to freak anyone out. When it came down to it, Richard needed Rachel. She'd be able to sense if someone bad was in the manor.

"We need to get to Rachel's room," Richard said.

Roy nodded and they headed straight there. They headed to the stairs that led up to the third floor where Rachel's room was. Everyone's rooms were located on the third floor so that it would make it easier in case they needed to group together.

Richard knocked on Rachel's door while Roy kept an eye out for anything suspicious. He knocked again, knowing he was getting a tad bit impatient but was also getting anxious. He was about to knock a third time until the door swung open and an angry looking Rachel stood there in her black robe.

"Is there a reason you two idiots are disturbing my sleep?" she spat.

"There's someone in the house," Roy said quickly.

"Uh, yeah, there's like twelve of us here." She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Are you drunk?"

Richard stepped close to her and said, "Rachel, an intruder is in the manor. We need you to see if you can sense where they are—or if there is even actually someone here."

Rachel's face grew serious and she nodded. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then placed her hand on the door frame. Only a few seconds passed until Rachel confirmed what they really didn't want to hear.

"Main level. I can't sense where at but I know they're on the first floor," she said.

"Shit," Richard muttered. He swallowed hard and looked from Roy to Rachel. "You two come with me. Don't disturb anyone else. I don't want the intruder to know we know they're here."

They both nodded and followed Richard down the hall. Despite it being nighttime, the manor had wall lamps lit on just about every hall making easier to see. The three of them took cautious steps and slinked around every corner. Rachel was in the lead now as she kept her senses on high alert.

Now, they were in the large study. Nothing looked out of place. The only sound that could be heard was the heavy rain outside. Lightning flashed, illuminating the study for a split second. A crack of thunder sounded loudly and was followed by yet another flash of lightning.

"I...can't sense anything now," Rachel said. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "I don't understand."

Before anyone else could react, Rachel felt herself being yanked backwards by Richard, who'd saved her head from getting severely injured by a candlestick holder.

Rachel's eyes were wide as the three of them whipped their heads over to see someone dressed in an all black armored suit standing there. The person had on

a black tactical helmet with shaded eyes. The aura the person had was anything but nice.

"Who the hell are you," Richard demanded as he stepped in front of Rachel and Roy. He side eyed a nearby letter opener on an end table nearby and licked his lips. "What is it you want?"

The intruder stood there, fists clenched, and said nothing. Instead, they tilted their head to the side, pressed something on their utility belt, and disappeared.

The three of them immediately looked around. They were all in shock. The person just vanished. Not a trace of them anywhere, other than the candle holder they'd chucked at Rachel's head.

"What the actual fuck!?" Roy yelled.

Richard shook his head. "Rachel—"

"Already on it." Rachel took a deep breath and recited her well-known mantra: "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Her eyes turned white and a black silhouette of a raven appeared.

The raven roamed the manor with rocket speed searching for the intruder. All floors were clear up until the third floor where everyone's rooms were. The raven slipped into someone's room and saw a certain redhead sleeping peacefully. She had her hand on her stomach and was clutching it rather tightly. Standing over the redhead was—

"Richard!" Rachel gasped. Her eyes went back to normal and the raven vanished.

Richard was already sprinting up to Kori. He didn't even need Rachel to tell him that his wife was in danger. He'd never ran so fast through the manor and didn't care what he had to move out of his way to get to his destination.

Roy and Rachel followed quickly behind, though it was hard to keep up with Richard. Once they were on the second floor, they could hear a crash and Kori letting out a short scream. If anyone was dead asleep before, they definitely weren't now.

"Check the others!" Richard yelled as he reached his own bedroom door.

Roy and Rachel did as they were told. They immediately began waking up their other friends to let them know a raging psycho was currently in the manor and to be ready for the worst.

Richard swung open the door to see Kori leaned against the dresser, one hand on her stomach and the other one raised in front of her with a faint green glow. The intruder was poised a few feet away from her, their own hand raised in a fist as if to administer some sort of attack.

"If you fucking touch her, I will kill you." Richard's words were laced with malice.

He charged for the intruder instantly and started with a flying kick. The intruder backflipped out of the way and threw a forceful punch back. Richard caught it and smirked. He then countered the attack with his own powerful punch, landing it right in the person's rib cage.

The intruder was pushed back slightly but was hardly phased. Before they could result in a full-on hand-to-hand fight, Vic and Jade burst through the double bedroom doors.

"I heard we have an unwanted visitor," Jade purred as she let her claws slowly come out. "This should be fun."

Jade launched forward and sliced at the intruder, who dodged every one of her attacks. She spun around and ran towards Richard, who'd clasped his hands down in front of him for Jade to kick off of. She felt the force of Richard lifting her up and she backflipped to where she landed right behind the intruder, catching them off guard.

Jade sliced at the back of the intruder twice with lighting speed but barely left a scratch. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and soon felt an elbow connect with her mouth. She grunted and fell backwards.

Vic has already transformed to his robotic self. He aimed his sonic cannon right at the intruder and said, "You're in the wrong damn house."

Richard knew the impact Vic's sonic cannon would make in the size of the bedroom. He quickly ran over to Kori and shielded her as Jade ducked for cover as well. Vic released his cannon and watched as the intruder flew through the window. Shards of glass went everywhere and a burst of wind engulfed all of them. The whole third floor seemed to shake.

After a few seconds, Richard and Vic quickly ran over to the decent-sized hole in the wall that overlooked the backyard. Not a sign of the intruder was anywhere. But this time, Richard felt confident in knowing they were gone for good—this time.

"Man...we couldn't have a couple months of being normal?" Vic said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Normal will never be an option for us." He turned to Vic, Jade, and Kori. "Titans meeting. We're calling the rest of the team as well."

TT

Richard sat at the head of the long table in front of his team. The large screen behind them was split four ways. Each section had the rest of the team on it: Toni on the top left, Karen on the top right, Tula and Alain on the bottom left, and Mal on the bottom right.

"What's this all about, Rich?" Karen asked as she rubbed her eyes of sleep. "My beauty rest is extremely important."

"Yeah, man," Wally yawned. "My chest _still_ hurts from Roy sternum rubbing me to death.

Roy narrowed his eyes. "Maybe if you didn't sleep like a rock."

"Dude it's one in the morning!" Wally countered.

"QUIET!" Richard suddenly yelled, silencing everyone. "This is important. And since Bruce isn't here, I've got to handle this one until he gets back."

Richard knew Bruce could take this matter into his own hands and diminish it almost immediately. However, he wanted to show his team he could be a strong, independent leader. He didn't want to seem clueless or afraid in the slightest bit.

"What happened?" Toni asked. "Also, where's Jason at?"

Richard looked down. "He's...gone. For now, anyways. He'll be back eventually." No matter their rough past, Richard still considered Jason a part of a team. There was no hiding the fact that his absence left a slight hole in the group.

"Well?" Karen asked, clearly wanting to hear what was so important that it had to wake her up from her beauty rest.

"Someone had somehow gotten into the manor tonight and tried to inflict harm on any one of us," Richard explained. "I don't know what they wanted or even how they got past all the security measures we have."

"How are you going to make sure that doesn't happen again?" Jade asked. She currently had an ice pack to her swollen lips.

"I'm going to meet with Bruce's security team first thing in the morning to discuss that. Meanwhile, I think it would probably be wise to—"

"NO!" It seemed as if everyone simultaneously shouted this word at once.

"—Start up training sessions," Richard finished as he raised an eyebrow. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know it's summer and you guys wanted your two month long vacation, but now there's a threat in the mix. We don't know anything about him or her and what they wanted. We have to be cautious and ready for anything."

"Man, for all we know that could've been a one time thing! We probably scared the little shit off!" Vic boasted.

This time, Rachel spoke. "You didn't see the abilities this person had. Only Roy, Richard, and I did. They could disappear practically into thin air. Maybe they can appear like that too."

"Teleportation?" Tula asked.

"Maybe," Rachel said. "We don't know. They had some kind of armored suit and mask. I'm sure there's some kind of technological power infused in it."

"So it's basically a robot," Wally added. "Cool, next time it comes around hopefully Alain will be back to drench the damn thing."

Richard shook his head. "It's not that simple. The intruder was clearly after something or someone. They were toying with us, it seemed."

"You don't think they were after Kori, do you?" Roy asked.

At this, the whole room was silent. It was definitely a possibility—but that's all it was. No one could give any definite answers. It could've been a coincidence that the intruder ended up in Kori's room, or just another game they were trying to play. There wasn't much to go off of.

"No. Truthfully, I don't think they were," Richard said. Though deep down he could feel the worry in his stomach.

Kori suddenly stood up and rubbed her arms. "I'm cold and tired." She placed a hand on her lower back and grimaced. "I need to lie down."

"Kori, are you okay?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, just tired…" Kori replied.

Richard was at her side in an instant. "I told you to let us run tests on you. You said that the intruder didn't get the chance to hurt you but I still think we should make sure you're okay."

Kori shook her head. "No, I just want to sleep."

Richard nodded. "I'll keep all of you updated. Until then, enjoy what little vacation time you all have left. I'll be setting up a training course for when the whole team is back together."

Groans went around. Some of the team members who weren't there were pretty mad that they had to cut their vacations short because of the inconvenience that was the intruder. However, Richard assured them he'd make it up to them in some way.

"Meeting adjourned?" Wally asked.

Richard let out a deep breath. "For now, Titans."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: No Days Off

The mall always seemed like the one place that made everyone feel better after a rough day or night. There was something about foodcourt eats and over a dozen different stores that could improve someone's mood significantly.

Jade, Kori, and Rachel decided to have a girls day at Gotham Mall. After last night, nobody got much sleep. Everyone was a little spooked about the intruder but they were trying not to let it ruin the rest of their summer. Richard enforcing training sessions was already doing a good job of that.

"I look like a tube of toothpaste in this," Jade said as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She currently had on a mint green dress that reached mid-thigh. Her long dark hair stood out against it.

"That's one way to put it," Rachel added from the couch behind her. She had her nose in a book, as usual.

Jade scoffed. "Gee, thanks." She sighed and turned around to face them. "Roy is taking me out on a date Friday night and I need something new to wear."

"What's wrong with the clothes you have now?" Rachel asked, not looking up from her book. "It's not gonna matter what you wear at the end of the night anyways, right?"

"Ha Ha. What's wrong is he's seen me in all the nice clothes I own. I just...want something different." She smiled and put her hands on her hips.

"I think that dress looks lovely on you," Kori said with a smile.

"Thanks, Kor. At least _someone_ thinks so." Jade narrowed her eyes in Rachel's direction.

Just then, one of the women working at the store came up to them. She looked to be in her early twenties, had on bright pink lipstick, and her teal blue dyed hair was in loose waves. She was carrying an olive green silk dress with spaghetti straps. It was short and form-fitting.

"Hi there! I saw you trying on dresses and wanted to see if you'd maybe like to try this one on?" The woman held it out to Jade. "It's new and a bestseller. We have it in dark blue and black as well, but something tells me you like green."

Jade smiled warmly and took it from her. "Wow, thank you. Green is actually my favorite color."

"It suits you. Special occasion?" The woman asked.

"A date with the boyfriend." Jade rolled her eyes and laughed. "I want him to actually notice something other than my tits this time."

The woman laughed. "Don't we all? This dress will look great with your complexion. And if you wear your hair up, it'll show off your gorgeous bone structure."

Jade looked thoroughly impressed. "Uh, wow okay. Thank you so much for the advice!" She turned and headed into the dressing room.

While Jade tried on her fifth dress for the afternoon, Rachel closed her book with a sigh and turned to Kori. She asked, "How are you doing?"

Kori nodded and hugged her arms. "I'm good. What about—"

"No, Kori. Really." Rachel almost looked concerned as she stared at her. "How are you?" She felt like Richard asking her how she was not once but twice in one setting.

Kori glanced down at her stomach. She was wearing a form-fitting purple shirt today but had on a white cardigan. She was only slightly showing, given how tiny she was to begin with. But if she were to be honest, her entire body hurt and emotionally, she felt drained.

"I'm fine, really," Kori lied. "I feel great. I just hope...I hope it's a girl!" She plastered on a fake smile and rubbed her stomach.

Rachel studied her for a moment. Whether Kori was telling the truth or not, Rachel could tell something was wrong. She didn't want to push it, though, because she didn't want to add any unwanted stress onto Kori's shoulders.

"Okay," Rachel said. "I hope it is too." She offered a small smile.

Suddenly, Jade emerged from the dressing room. She'd thrown her dark hair up in a ponytail and had a smile as big as Texas on her face. She spun around to give them the full view of the dress and said, "I think we have a winner!"

"Okay, okay. I'll admit—I actually like this one," Rachel said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn't help but smile a little.

Kori clapped her hands together. "I think this one is perfect!"

After Jade purchased the gorgeous dress, they all three headed to the food court. Kori was craving the new Chinese food station they'd just built and a lot of hot mustard. The food court itself was pretty crowded.

They sat down at a table and put their bags down as well. Jade bought a whole new outfit altogether today. Kori bought a few pairs of comfortable sweatpants and loose shirts. Rachel purchased a pair of new boots and a few new books as well. Overall, their shopping trip was pretty successful. Karen would be proud.

"Oh my gosh, you're Richard Grayson's wife!"

Jade, Rachel, and Kori looked over to see a girl about their age with stars in her eyes. She was with two other girls and they all had their phones out. Kori immediately wrapped her cardigan around her tightly.

"No pictures," Rachel deadpanned.

"One picture won't hurt," the girl snapped. She looked to Kori with a glossy smile. "Do you mind?"

Kori, who looked anything but pleased, shook her head. Before she could answer, Jade stood up and faced the girl. "What part of 'no pictures' did you not get?"

The girl clicked her tongue and looked Jade up and down. She smirked and said, "What are _you_ exactly?"

"I can tell _you_ what you're about to be if you don't get lost," Jade sneered. She crossed her arms defiantly and moved in front of Kori.

"Literally, it's a picture. I just can't believe I'm seeing her in person. She looked a lot prettier in the magazines." The girl laughed with her friends and started to walk away.

Kori closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It took every ounce of willpower in Jade to not rip the girl's obvious hair extensions out of her head. Rachel, on the other hand, wasn't one to sit still and let people walk away after a stunt like that.

One minute the girl was laughing with her friends and the next, a flash of black appeared and she was wearing her iced coffee. Her loud shriek caught nearly everyone's attention. Rachel simply sat there smugly, her book in her hand, as if she didn't do a damn thing wrong.

Jade sat back down and chuckled. "You know, you come in handy sometimes," she said to Rachel.

The empath shrugged nonchalantly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kori placed a hand on top of Rachel's and said, "Thank you, Rachel. You did not have to do that. You either, Jade." She looked over at Jade with sullen eyes.

For the next forty-five minutes, the three of them sat and ate until their stomachs felt ready to burst. Then, they decided to call it a day and head home. Jade insisted on stopping by one more store but for the sake of Kori's aching body and Rachel's ticking nerves, she decided going home would be the best option.

On their way to the car, Kori spotted a familiar blonde walking towards the mall entrance. She furrowed her eyebrows trying to figure out who it was. After a few more seconds, she realized who it was and her eyes grew wide with excitement.

"Terra!" Kori yelled as she ran up to the blonde to envelope her in a bone-crushing hug.

Terra didn't have the breath to reply until Kori set her down. She rubbed her rib cage and let out a slight laugh. "Kori, hi. It's nice to see you too."

"Oh my gosh," Jade said as she side-hugged Terra. "It's crazy running into you here. Where have you been?"

"Oh, I've got a place here in Gotham for the summer," Terra explained. "The mall here has, like, the best books ever."

Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly. She watched as Jade, Kori, and Terra interacted animatedly. She's heard of Terra only a couple of times. Apparently she was Gar's friend before anyone—which clearly didn't sit well with Rachel.

But Rachel's never actually met Terra. She was still in her coma—err dream state—when Terra entered the picture. Gar's only ever mentioned her once to Rachel and that's all.

It was no secret that Rachel wasn't exactly a people-person. And she was terrible at looking like a welcoming person. So, when Kori and Jade introduced Terra to her, she didn't even lift a hand to shake or twitch an eyebrow.

"Hi, I'm Terra. I've heard a lot about you," the bubbly blonde said. She smiled and awkwardly placed the hand she was holding out for her to shake in her back pocket.

"Wish I could say the same," Rachel said. She knew she was being petty, but it wasn't just about Gar. Terra gave her a bad vibe.

"Oh, yeah, I didn't really hang around any of you _that_ much." Terra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked away. She then looked back up at Rachel and said, "Except for Gar."

Rachel wanted to claw her eyeballs out right then and there.

"We should change that!" Jade said, sensing the tension. "We could do a bonfire tonight at the manor! Terra, you're totally coming."

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "I don't think—"

"Yes! That would be perfect for all of us!" Kori added as she clapped her hands together. "I will tell Richard as soon as we get home!"

Terra bit her bottom lip. "Oh, are you guys sure? I don't want to intrude or anything."

"Nonsense!" Jade said. "You better be there! Here's my number," she scribbled down her number on a piece of scrap paper and handed it over to Terra. "Text me for the details."

Terra took the number and smiled. "Okay, I will. Uh, I guess I'll see you all tonight? Rachel, it was nice to meet you finally."

Rachel nodded and watched Terra walk away. She had an unsettling feeling about all of this. She didn't know how much Terra was around when she was 'asleep' for over a month, but she didn't like her.

She didn't know if she'd ever like her.

TT

"I don't know, Kori. I don't think a bonfire would be a good idea. After last night, maybe we should just try and take it easy…" Richard stood facing his bedroom window, arms crossed and all. He was rigid, and not in the party-ish mood.

Kori got up off the bed and walked over to him. "Richard, come on. We can't just forget that we are teenagers who don't know how to have fun because of the heroic responsibilities we've taken upon ourselves!"

Richard sighed and shook his head. Kori's english was getting better everyday and it was starting to bite him in the ass. He really didn't want to host this bonfire tonight, especially since some psycho broke in last night and is still on the loose. Being outside where it's easier to access seemed nothing but dangerous.

"Kori, I don't know. It's really not safe," he said.

She sighed and rubbed her back. "If you want the truth, I really do not care if you want to have it or not. I just know our friends would really enjoy it."

At this, Richard turned around and raised a curious eyebrow. Half of that statement came as a surprise to him because usually, Kori was always up for friendly gatherings. He asked her, "Kori, are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. I just...I'm just feeling tired. I really just want to lay down and sleep."

Richard watched as Kori closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She sat back down on the bed and looked up at him. For the first time ever, he noticed that she didn't even look like herself. She looked sad, lost, and her face looked thinner.

"Kori, I think you need to get checked out. Let me take you to the infirmary." He walked over to her and caressed her cheek. "I'm worried about you."

"Well you shouldn't be. I'm fine. Please, just go talk to our friends." She pulled away from him and laid down.

Richard flinched and was utterly shocked. Now he definitely knew something was wrong. They were going to wait until Bruce got back to get setup with their own doctor but now he was having second thoughts. He needed to get Kori checked out.

The only problem was that she wasn't going to comply.

"Kori, our friends wanting a party is the least of my worries right now. I think something is wrong with you," he said.

She sat up abruptly and her eyes flared with anger. " _Nothing_ is wrong with me, Richard. Hop off," she snapped.

Ouch.

"Hop off? Okay first of all, you need to stop hanging around Wally so much because clearly he has a bad influence on your language," Richard felt silly for even having to tell her this. "Secondly, something is clearly wrong with you. You never act like this, Kori. And you look sick."

Kori literally flew out of the bed and shoved Richard back. Her eyes glowed green and her hair floated around her. "I said _**nothing**_ is wrong with me."

Richard stared at his wife—no, someone else. This was not Kori. He knew it and he knew _she_ knew it as well. "Kori," he breathed. "Stop, please. I don't want to inflict any force on you."

Kori stared at him and even her breathing was deep. Her eyes suddenly went back to normal and filled with tears. She let go of Richard and stepped back to catch her breath.

He immediately wrapped his arms around her and assured her everything was going to be okay. She sobbed into his shoulder and profusely apologized.

"I'm sorry, Richard. I—I don't understand. I don't—"

"It's okay, Kori. Really, it's fine." He cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead. "Let me help you. Okay?"

Kori bit down on her bottom lip. The truth was, she knew something was wrong. Physically and mentally. This pregnancy hasn't been easy, but now it seemed almost life-threatening.

She didn't want to face the truth.

TT

Come nightfall, it didn't matter whether Richard gave the 'ok' for the bonfire or not because the girls proceeded with it anyways. Plus, Vic had just gotten back to the manor with Karen, who'd taken an early flight to Gotham after hearing about last night. Needless to say, Karen would wreak havoc if she knew Richard passed up a party opportunity.

Out back, the guys were creating a pit for the bonfire. The girls were busy helping the kitchen staff arrange the food table. Richard was up front with security making sure the fifty guests that Wally so kindly invited to this "small gathering" weren't suspicious in any way, shape, or form.

"Geez, Wally. You invited people from Elite High?" Roy asked the redhead when their fellow classmates started arriving out back.

Wally smirked. "You wouldn't believe how many of them were close by or literally booked it here for a chance to party at Wayne Manor!"

"Seriously, dude?" Isaiah said. "We don't even talk to half of them!"

"What's a party without people, booze, and—" Wally cut himself off when he saw a group of girls walk by. They were laughing and already had drink cups in their hands. "Girls. Lots and lots of girls."

Roy and Isaiah rolled their eyes as Wally floated towards the girls on a cloud. Meanwhile, Karen was reconciling with everyone and making it clear how thankful she was that they'd went through with her "welcoming party."

No one had the balls to tell her it wasn't exactly for her.

So, they just played along.

"How do you feel about this?" Rachel asked Richard as she walked up to him by the entrance.

He shook his head. "Does it matter how I feel?"

"Considering it's your home and your team...I'd say it does matter." Rachel crossed her arms firmly. "This isn't safe."

"Try telling that to the team." He sighed and turned to Rachel. "Look, just keep an eye out for anything suspicious. You're the only one who's mind isn't in party mode right now."

Rachel nodded and left to join the others in the back. Richard told his head of security to let him know if any unwanted visitors arrive. He headed upstairs to check on Kori, who was resting in their bedroom.

She finally complied to get checked out but only when Bruce got back from his vacation in a few days. For now, she decided resting would be her best bet. Richard was going to try his best to be there for her tonight as much as he could.

"Hey babe," he greeted as he shut the door behind him.

Kori stirred and smiled lazily at him. "I should have known you'd skip the party."

He chuckled slightly. "I didn't even want this party to begin with." He crawled into the empty space next to her and kissed her collarbone. "Plus, it isn't going to be any fun without you there."

Kori tilted her head back. "You...should...really go back down there." She giggled when his lips nibbled on her ear.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Richard said as he hovered above her.

She bit her lip through a smile. "Only a few times…"

Out back, Rachel was just rejoining the group. She felt a wave of comfort when Gar slinked an arm around her waist and kissed her temple. Even though she wasn't in a party mood, she was happy to be at Gar's side.

Isaiah lit the bonfire a few minutes ago and it was pretty big. People started to grab their roasting sticks and roast hotdogs and marshmallows. The music was pretty loud, but Wayne Manor had zero neighbors near enough to hear it. Security was patrolling the entire perimeter but Rachel was the only team member to be on high alert for any suspicious behavior.

"Where's your mind at, Rach?" Gar said lowly into her ear.

She hugged her arms and tried to seem a little more cheerful than usual—which wasn't much. "Our comfortable queen-sized bed."

Gar laughed. "Try and enjoy this, okay? This might be our last hoorah this summer." He ran a hand through his green-streaked hair.

"Would that be a bad thing?" Rachel asked monotonously.

"Considering how intense Richard makes our training sessions, yes."

"Fair enough," she said. "I'm sorry, Gar. I'm just on edge because of last night."

Gar moved them away from the crowd and towards the gazebo. "About that, how are you doing? I mean, I know you went through a lot this past year and I don't want anything to...um…"

Rachel squeezed his hand and said, "I'm fine, don't worry. If anything, everything that's happened has made me stronger."

"Okay. Good." He kissed her forehead and gave her that goofy smile that she loved. "Rachel, I—"

He was cut off when he spotted a familiar blonde walked out the back doors. His green eyes grew wide and he immediately let go of Rachel's hand to run over to her. Rachel furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at his sudden movements.

Rachel turned around to see what all the commotion was about. She saw her friends greeting and hugging none other than Terra. Gar had picked her up and spun her around in a tight hug. The mere scene made her blood boil.

While everyone was busy fawning over Terra, Rachel was steaming. Jealousy has never really been a huge trait for her, but with Terra it was almost undeniable. She really just didn't like her and couldn't understand _why._

Well, Gar was a huge reason for it.

"You don't look too thrilled."

Rachel looked over to see Roy standing next to her watching everyone with Terra. She shrugged and said, "I can think of a dozen other places I'd rather be right now."

"It's Gar, isn't it?" He asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"What?"

He laughed. "You feel threatened by Terra because of her friendship with Gar."

"I wasn't exactly here when their friendship started. In other words, I couldn't care less about what it is they have." Rachel was two seconds away from disappearing to her room.

Roy nudged her slightly. "Don't worry, Rach. I've never seen Gar happier with anyone other than you. In fact, I haven't seen him as happy as he has been these past few weeks since...well, ever."

Rachel swallowed a lump in her throat at this. "Yeah, it's like something in him has changed."

She stared at Gar from afar. She noticed how his arms looked more defined, he was taller, and overall had a more natural glow to him. He was obviously happy, but that wasn't all. He looked older—fuller.

Rachel didn't know what she'd done to him; whether she healed him or not, he was different. She didn't know if it was a good different or bad different. All she knew was that the pit in her stomach suggested it was the latter.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Friend or Foe

Jade was sitting in a porch chair staring aimlessly at her full red solo cup. She wasn't feeling this party. In fact, nothing sounded better than taking a shower and going to bed. Alone.

Her and Roy haven't been speaking since a little after the party started. He's had a bit too much to drink and said a few choice words to her that weren't exactly kind. Needless to say, Jade was not happy.

They were supposed to go out on a date Friday night. She even bought a new dress and everything for the occasion. Now, she wanted to take the dress and strangle him with it.

"You okay?"

Jade looked up to see Wally standing in front of her. He actually looked somewhat sober. She let out a short laugh and said, "Ask me again tomorrow."

"Uh-oh." Wally took a seat next to her. "Are you having relationship problems?" She eyed him suspiciously and he shrugged. "I heard what he said to you."

"Of course." She tossed her drink into the trash can near her. "Is nothing sacred around here?"

"It was kind of hard not to hear it. You guys were pretty loud."

Jade stood up and rolled her eyes. She didn't have the energy to listen to Wally's 'relationship advice'. However, when she went inside, he only followed her like a lost puppy dog. She couldn't figure out why he kept bugging her instead of the two dozen other girls outside. Then, she figured Roy must of put him up to it instead of talking to her like a man.

She whipped around to face Wally, making him come to an abrupt stop. "Wally, if you have something to say for someone else then say it so I can tell you what you can tell to the said person who put you up to this." She could feel steam coming out of her ears.

Wally's blue eyes went wide as he threw his hands up in defense. "Uhh well first off, Roy didn't send me to come talk to you. He's too busy smashing beer cans against his head."

"Oh, that's perfect." Jade rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can tend to his fucking concussion tonight. Can't wait."

"Jade, I really just wanted to see if you were okay," Wally said.

She stared at him. Then, "Are you drunk?"

He sighed. "No! Geez, is it really _that_ hard to believe I might be a decent guy?"

"Did you really just ask that?"

"Come on!"

Jade snorted. "I'm sorry, Wally. Thank you." She sighed and leaned against the counter. "I'm not used to this side of you. Then again, I'm not used to being called a stuck-up, stubborn bitch either."

Wally cringed. "Yeah…those were just drunken words. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"Yeah, right," Jade scoffed. "Drunken words are sober thoughts."

That statement alone made Jade's insides turn. If Roy really thought that about her, then she was definitely in a tough situation. How can someone who claims they love her also say those horrible things to her? Drunk or not, it wasn't right.

"We've…we've been arguing a lot lately," Jade said. She still couldn't believe she was confiding in Wally.

"Really? I had no idea," he replied. He actually looked genuinely concerned.

"Yeah and really just over stupid things. I just feel like things between us lately have been...strained." She couldn't help but feel a sense of release by saying these things out loud. It felt good to vent.

Wally looked down and sighed. "I don't think any relationship is strong unless there are complicated moments." He looked up at Jade with serious eyes. "If you make it out in the end together...that's the part that really matters."

Jade stared at him and did something she never thought in a million years she'd ever do. She walked over to him and hugged him. And then she felt tears sting in her eyes. She needed to hear that and of all the people, she heard it from Wally.

Wally was shocked at first but then he slowly lifted his arms and hugged her back. He knew they had a love-hate relationship but he really thought of Jade as a sister. He cared for her and hated to see her hurting. Plus, helping her with her relationship problems distracted him from his.

"Wally, are _you_ okay?" Jade asked as she pulled away from him. Her face was full of concern, especially since she's never seen this side of Wally.

Wally's mind wandered to pink hair with matching eyes and a red rose. He swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded. "I will be."

Jade smiled a sad smile. She ruffled Wally's hair and said, "I'm gonna head to bed. Please make sure Roy doesn't do anything else stupid."

"Will do. Goodnight, Jade." He watched as she walked away and before she disappeared completely out of sight he said, "And Jade?" She turned around as he called out. "You're not a stuck-up, stubborn bitch. Far from it, actually."

Another round of tears threatened to spill over from Jade's eyes. She turned around before he could see them. If there was one thing she hated it was letting people see her cry.

"Whoever the girl is, Wally," Jade started. "She's really lucky."

Wally's heart skipped a beat.

 _I'm bad luck. Good was never an option for me._

Maybe Wally was the lucky one…

TT

The following morning was beautiful. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It wasn't miserably hot, in fact, a summer breeze created a chill cool enough to induce goosebumps on anyone who stepped foot outside.

Wayne Manor was still. The party last night took a lot out of most of the residents at the house. The Elite High classmates left at about two in the morning when the party _finally_ died. Well, almost all of the classmates.

A perky blonde girl stirred in her queen-sized guest bed. She opened her blue eyes and stretched out her limbs. She'd gotten a solid six hours of sleep, which was more than she usually got. Last night was memorable and actually pretty fun.

The fact that she spent most of it being friends with the Teen Titans was the cherry on top of a sundae. And Garfield...he was her favorite part. He made her laugh—genuinely laugh. It felt good to _really_ smile and mean it. It's been awhile since that's happened.

Terra got out of bed and walked over to the window. She stared out of it and closed her eyes. She had a mission. One that she was going to complete for _him._ Nothing was going to stop her. However, a small part of her couldn't help but feel guilty.

Richard had so kindly invited her to stay the night at the Manor before she left last night. They were all very welcoming to her. Well, except for Rachel. But Terra would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy making Rachel steam with jealousy.

But none of them could ever take Slade's place in her heart.

There was a knock on her door. She jumped slightly and stared at the shiny, large, wooden door. Who could be up this early after last night?

Terra walked over and slowly opened it. She was surprised yet pleased to see Gar standing there. His hair was damp from a shower and he smelled like Old Spice. He looked handsome with his muscled arm stretched up to support him against the door frame.

"Gar," she breathed with slight excitement. She knew she looked hideous right now. She hasn't even brushed her teeth yet. That, and she was only in a purple tank top with matching sleep shorts, courtesy of Kori.

His cheeks tinged slightly red at the sight of her. "Hey, Terra. I, uh, there—we just wanted to um, tell you breakfast was being prepared downstairs." He smiled cheekily and scratched the back of his head.

Terra smiled. _Everyone was awake this early?_ She really thought they'd all be sleeping in. Hm. weird.

"Okay, thanks. I'll be down in a bit," she said.

Gar was just about to say something else when a dark-haired beauty walked up next to him. Rachel slinked her hand into his and stared at Terra with no emotion. Terra sucked on her teeth at the sight of Rachel...and her hand in Gar's.

"Hey babe," Gar greeted Rachel. He kissed her temple and slung an arm around her shoulders. "I was just telling Terra breakfast was going to be ready soon."

Rachel let a ghost of a smile pass over her face. "You should try the waffles," she said to Terra. "They're the best." She then pulled Gar away and they headed down the hall.

Terra rolled her eyes and shut the door. The warmth she felt when she was around Gar was nothing compared to the heat she felt whenever Rachel was around. And not a good kind of heat either.

About twenty minutes and a shower later, Terra joined everyone in the dining room for breakfast. They all greeted her and looked pretty lively—except for Roy, who had on sunglasses to try and cover up his hangover look.

"Hey, Terra. Sleep okay?" Richard asked from the head of the table.

"Yeah, I did. Thanks for letting me stay the night. Really, you didn't have to do that." She took a seat next to Kori, who began shoveling eggs onto her plate.

"Don't mention it. You're welcome here anytime," Richard said with a smile.

 _Good to know._ Terra's thoughts made her smile. She looked across from her to see Gar staring at her. She noticed for the first time that he looked different. He was more toned, and his jawline was more defined. It's only been a couple of months since she's last seen him and he's already developed this much.

"So, are you heading back to Elite High for our senior year?" Isaiah asked.

Terra nodded. "I plan on it. It's a wonderful school."

"Where are you staying for the summer?" Karen asked and took a sip of her orange juice.

"Oh, um…not far from here. I have my own apartment," Terra replied. She shoved a bite of waffles in her mouth and was pissed that Rachel was right; they were the best.

"No family?" Rachel asked blatantly.

Terra suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Nope. Just me."

"Mm. You must get pretty lonely sometimes," Rachel added.

"Not really. Especially now that I've made friends with all of you." Terra smiled her best smile and blushed as everyone agreed. She enjoyed watching Rachel cringe with animosity.

Rachel slowly let out a breath. Everyone was too caught up in conversations to notice that she was glaring daggers into Terra's face. She needed to keep her emotions at bay and Terra's presence was not helping that.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gar asked her quietly.

The blazing heat that was surging through Rachel's body was suddenly replaced by a calming coolness when she felt Gar's hand on her thigh. She let her shoulders relax and melted into his touch.

"I'm good." She smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

It was moments like these that she cherished. Small, rare moments like these where it felt as if it were just her and Gar in the room. She suddenly forgot about Terra and the team. She even forgot about the heavenly waffles on her plate.

Gar smiled at her and didn't remove his hand. She moved her own hand to lay on top of his. It was only then when—and only for a split second—she saw that same terrifying beast flash before her eyes. It seemed to be another vision but it was long and vivid enough for her to quickly snatch her hand back and draw the attention of nearly everyone around.

"Rachel?" Gar breathed as his eyes grew wide in surprise at her sudden gesture.

Rachel's face paled even more if that were even possible. She swallowed and looked around at everyone watching her. Her heart was beating so fast and she couldn't get that terrible beast out of her head. More importantly, she couldn't shake the feeling that the beast had everything to do with Gar.

"Rach, are you okay?" Richard asked. He was already on his feet prepared to run tests if he needed to.

"I'm fine. I—I just don't feel all that well." She wasn't even convincing herself. "I'm fine, seriously guys . Don't make a big deal out of nothing."

With that, everyone seemed to forget about her spasmastic moment much to her relief. Well, everyone except for her. This couldn't keep happening and she knew it. Rachel needed answers—and fast.

TT

Kori sat on a barstool in the kitchen with a tub of chocolate ice cream in front of her. She had on her pajama pants, a white camisole, and fuzzy socks. By now, everyone in the house was asleep, for the day had taken a lot out of them.

After the big breakfast they all had, Richard, with a lot of convincing, let them all go to a popular water park here in Gotham. Everyone went—including Terra—and had a great time getting tanned/burnt. It was nice to do normal things during their summer vacation despite having a new enemy behind their backs.

Once they all got home, everyone showered and waited for the pizza they'd ordered to arrive. After inhaling all ten of the pizzas, it was time to call it a day. Terra decided to go home after eating but thanked them for a good two-ish days of hanging out. She mentioned how she really felt like she had real friends now.

Now it was midnight and Kori was anything but tired. She participated in all the water park festivities today as well but her mind was awake and restless. Plus, ice cream sounded like an amazing comfort food right about now.

Kori sighed and took another bite of the ice cream. She then placed a hand over her stomach. She swallowed and felt tears well up in her eyes. Suddenly, her appetite went away and was replaced by sadness. The overwhelming feeling of sorrow engulfed her and washed away any light she had left in the moment.

"What is wrong with me…" she whispered as she wiped away her tears.

"Kori?"

Kori literally flew off her stool and gasped. Her eyes glowed green as did her fists in case she needed to attack. When she saw it was Roy, who was holding his hands up in defense, she closed her eyes and settled back down into her seat.

"I'm sorry, Roy." She placed her head in her hands and took a deep breath.

He walked over and sat down next to her. "Don't worry about it. After the other night, we should all have our guard up."

Kori nodded but didn't say anything. For a few moments, they sat in silence together. Then she asked, "What brings you here at this time of night?"

"Jade and I aren't exactly on the best terms. I needed to clear my head," he said.

"So I've heard," she replied dryly. "Jade was very excited about your upcoming date on Friday. What happened?"

He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. "She's always nagging me about something. I know she's your friend, Kor, and I _do_ love her, but sometimes I feel like I have a ball and chain around my ankle with her."

Kori pondered this for a moment. She hated to see two of her best friends fight when they were supposed to be in love. She hoped Richard didn't feel this way…

But Roy and Jade both had strong personalities. They met for the first time when Jade was practically on a suicide mission. Nothing has ever been easy or cookie-cutter for them.

"I know it seems like hell now, Roy. But she just wants the best for you and for your relationship," Kori said.

"Every time I try to tell her to be less overbearing or something along those lines, she gets pissed off and starts arguing with me. I can't do that anymore." Roy ran a hand through his hair and it was only then that Kori noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

She bit her bottom lip. He looked like hell. She—nobody really—didn't even know how much Jade and Roy had been fighting. Everyone knew how much they loved each other, but nobody knew the amount of underlying problems they had.

"Do you think...maybe we need a break?" Roy asked in a hushed tone.

Kori's eyes grew wide for a split second. She shook her head at this and said, "Roy…" she trailed off. She couldn't find any words at his surprising question.

"I know," he said. "It sounds dumb or whatever but maybe it would be good for us. Just for a little bit. I don't know how it works, I've never been in a real relationship before."

Kori's frown turned into a small smile. She looked down slightly and said, "I think that you even saying that proves how much you care for her."

He raised a curious eyebrow. "Saying what?"

"When me and Richard started to get to know each other, he told me you were a playboy and did not know how to quit the game."

Roy scowled. "He said that?" he spat. "What a dick. He's supposed to be my best—"

"That's not the point, Roy." Kori laid her hand on top of his. "What I am saying is that when Jade came along, you finished the game because you found someone worth finishing it for. Richard was surprised when you became committed to a serious relationship. Most of us were."

"Well, I just...Jade made me want to be a better person," Roy said.

This was true. From the moment he first met Jade, he got rid of all his playboy ways and swore to become the man she deserved. She was lost and practically traumatized, but despite all of that, she helped Roy become someone he was finally proud of. And for that, he felt like he owed Jade the world.

Roy swallowed a lump in his throat. He knew they've been arguing a lot lately, but he couldn't imagine his life without Jade in it. Whatever was wrong between them, he was going to fix it.

"You love her," Kori said quietly.

Roy nodded. "With all my heart." He looked over at Kori and smiled. "Thanks, Kor."

She took a deep breath and mimicked his smile. "You're welcome, Roy. I—"

Kori was cut off by a stabbing pain in her stomach. She yelled out in pain and jolted so forcefully, she tipped off of the stool. Her head would've hit the concrete ground had Roy not caught her. He cradled her in his arms as she cried out in pain.

"Kori!" He yelled for help and tried to comfort her. "Kori! Hold on, it's going to be okay!"

Kori tasted blood in her mouth and coughed it up. Roy's face started to become blurry and her head felt as light as a feather. The excruciating pain in her stomach was unbearable. She didn't know what was happening and soon her body began to shut down.

Roy continued to yell for help. He didn't have his cellphone with him and he was too afraid to leave Kori. Blood dripped from her mouth as her green eyes began to glaze over. He grabbed a nearby dish towel and tried to wipe the blood away.

"Oh god, Kori!" Roy held her and pushed for her to stay awake. All he could do was wait for someone to come down and find them, help them—save Kori.

And pray it wasn't too late.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello fans! It's been awhile since you've heard from me. I've been updating pretty regularly for the past few weeks. I wanted to leave an author's note before I upload this chapter as sort of a fair warning because it has some intense and somewhat sensitive content in it. I really wanted to make this story more mature in some aspects. I also wanted to say that I am creating my own story line in case there's any confusion about some of the events happening in this story. I want to branch out and create something new for all of you. Adding little Easter eggs from the actual show or comics are just fun tidbits I like to throw in for you guys but other than that this story is going to be created from as much as my imagination as possible.**

 **With that being said, I hope you all are enjoying it so far—I have so much more in store. Please be patient and thank you for all of your support! Love you guys a mil! Xoxoxo**

TT

Chapter 7: Pain

Richard was getting really tired of staring at hospital walls.

"Mr. Grayson?"

Oh, great. The doctor. Richard wondered what other kind of bad news he could deliver him at two in the morning.

"Would you come with me please?" The doctor asked. His face looked anything but hopeful.

Richard stood up and turned to his friends. "You guys can go home, I know it's late. I'll keep you updated."

Wally spoke up immediately. "No way, dude. We're staying."

Everyone seemed to agree on this. Richard didn't have the energy to argue back but he was thankful. They'd all piled into an SUV and followed behind the ambulance that held Kori in it all the way to Gotham Hospital. That was about an hour ago.

The amount of bad things and news that has happened this past week was enough to last Richard the rest of the year. Seeing his wife's blood all over his best friend was not a good way to start the night/morning. Watching her being rushed to the hospital added the sprinkles on top of a shit sundae.

Richard followed the doctor through the doors, around the corner, and all the way down the hall until they reached the room in which Kori was in. Once they stepped inside the room, chills traveled throughout his body. The sight of Kori made him want to punch a hole in the wall and cry at the same time.

She laid still in her bed. She now had on a hospital gown; her red hair was dull just like he knew her green eyes would be if she opened them. She had an oxygen mask on and two IV's, one in each arm. The doctor had told him she was stable about thirty minutes ago. Now, he only wondered what the doctor could possibly tell him.

"Your wife...she's an extraterrestrial being. From a planet called _Tamaran_ , correct?" The doctor said as he flipped through papers on his clipboard.

Richard suppressed the urge to roll his tired eyes. "Yes. That's correct. Why?" He felt like he was having deja vu via his honeymoon.

The doctor took a deep breath and set his clipboard down. "Mr. Grayson, you are one-hundred percent human. Your wife is one-hundred percent Tamaranean. You may be the first human to ever have sexual relations with, well, an alien."

Richard cringed. "Do you have to make it sound that bad?"

"Sorry, no." The doctor awkwardly scratched his bald head. "What I'm saying is that you two—a human and an extraterrestrial being—have created yet another history milestone. But that obviously came with complications."

"Okay...and?" Richard was getting impatient. The doctor seemed to be beating around the bush.

The doctor looked down and sighed. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Mr. Grayson, your wife's body is not compatible enough for this pregnancy. The baby—half-human, half alien—is making her body shut down little by little. Its blood is critical to her Tamaranean blood. It cannot form correctly without…"

"Without what, Doc?" Richard's heart was racing.

"Essentially killing her. Even then, the baby might not make it. However, if your wife were to carry out this pregnancy, the baby's chances of survival are higher than hers."

Richard swore he blacked out. He couldn't see anything for two seconds and his heart stopped beating. His life without Kori wouldn't be a life worth living.

"We've never dealt with anything like this before. Naturally, we don't have the correct procedure to go about this other than, well, abortion. We could try and come up with another way to save both your wife's and your child's life but that takes time and in this case, time is very, very precious. We don't know how much time we have," the doctor explained.

"I…" Richard was at a loss for words.

Abortion was something Kori was not going to do. He knew when she woke up and heard all this, she'd decide to keep going. She wouldn't care if it killed her. That alone was not sitting well with Richard.

He gripped the counter behind him to keep him from falling to his knees. "Abortion would save her life, right? That's what you said."

The doctor looked pained. "Basically, yes. It would save her physically, but emotionally it would more than likely destroy her."

Richard shook his head. "There's really no other way? How much time would you all need? I have money. I'd be willing—"

"Money cannot stop time, Mr. Grayson. Even with your wife's very complex anatomy and blood type, we're afraid she won't carry out this nine-month term. The baby is already starting to detach from the placenta. It can't take the compounded structure of being human and alien at the same time. It's like the cross between the two are fighting to overpower one another."

Everything the doctor was saying was making sense. Richard wished it wasn't, though, and he really wished this was all a dream. He couldn't think straight. He was already preparing to be a father and now...now he was going to have to plan how to be an even better husband after...well…

"Doc, she's not going to abort our child. As much as I don't want to, I'd do anything to save my wife. But she's not going to," Richard said. He sounded desperate, as if saying this will make the doctor convince Kori otherwise.

If Richard couldn't convince her, the doctor sure as hell wasn't going to.

"Well, that decision is up to your wife. It would be a fatal one, and a huge, huge risk. There's a chance the baby could make it, but even then it would most likely be premature. Your wife, on the other hand, has about a one percent chance of surviving this if she were to give birth. The odds are slim to none."

The doctor finished off by saying he was tremendously sorry and that he'd give Richard time alone for awhile. With that, he left and Richard was standing there wondering why this summer has been filled with nothing but bad news. Or at least that's how it felt.

It was crazy how much could change in a matter of seconds, minutes—hours. Less than two hours ago, he was thinking up baby names with Kori and now he was staring at her in the hospital wondering how on earth he was going to break this news to her. His heart was barely holding together.

Another hour passed by and Kori still hadn't woken up. She was stable and that's all that mattered at this point. Richard had traveled back downstairs to his friends to explain the heartbreaking news. They were just as devastated as he was.

Jade had parted from them with Karen to hide her tears. Rachel was trying to comfort Richard while pushing away her own solemn thoughts. There were lots of tears, for their hearts had been shattered into a million pieces. Kori's and the baby's lives were on the line and only one could make it out at the end. How does one devour that peacefully?

They don't.

"I'm so sorry, man," Roy said as he pulled Richard in for a hug. He still had on his grey sleep shirt that was slightly stained with Kori's blood. He was in such a hurry to make it to the hospital that he didn't change.

"I just don't know how she's going to take it," Richard said as his face paled. "I mean, I do but I don't know how to even comfort her."

Rachel put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "You just stand at her side the whole time. That's all you can really do."

After it hit four in the morning, the nurse had come down to tell Richard that Kori was awake. He'd said goodbye to his friends once again, and this time they all told him they'd see him back at the manor. Well, except for Roy, who stayed behind. The need for sleep kicked in for everyone else.

Richard wiped his sweaty palms on his sweatpants and nervously went up to Kori's room. He couldn't swallow the pill that was telling Kori to give up their child or give up her life. It was stuck in his throat.

Once he entered her room, she slowly turned to look at him. The doctor was in there and the look on both of their faces was enough to tell Richard that Kori already knew. The doctor gave a sad, apologetic look to Richard and left them to be alone.

Kori bit her bottom lip as tears spilled over. "Richard—!" She choked out as she began to cry uncontrollably.

Richard let his own tears run down his face as he immediately went over to her and hugged her. He stroked her hair and said nothing. They cried together as they tried their best to, in fact, devour the horrible news that their future as a family was cut short.

"It's going to be okay, baby," Richard said as he took a deep shaky breath. He could barely control his own tears. "It's going to be okay…"

TT

Blue eyes peered through the waiting room window at Gotham Hospital. The person observed Richard Grayson sadly hug his friends one by one, clearly telling them some sort of bad news. They noticed that a certain redhead was missing from the bunch.

The tree in which the person sat perched on was enough to help them blend in with the night. The all black suit and mask helped with that as well.

The Titans were a target. They were on the list for defeat. That was the person's mission. It was the only thing that kept replaying in the person's mind. Nothing else mattered.

So why, as the person sat far from the Titans peering in on their personal lives, watching them intently, did they feel something in their heart? Something that wasn't bad? Why did they feel remorse, sadness, and regret?

It wasn't vengeance, hatred, retribution—what it usually was. The overwhelming feeling of sorrow engulfed their heart and froze them on the spot. It was a strange yet familiar feeling. They had no idea what was happening.

The person shook their head vigorously and prepared to launch forward with all the force in the world. However, before they could actually depart with their hiding spot, it's like their body locked up.

"Come on…" they said gruffly. "Your mission is to destroy the Titans."

But their feet were practically glued to the branch. They couldn't move—their emotions were taking over.

"Dammit!" They yelled.

With that, the person turned and disappeared from sight, leaving the Titans to have the night to grieve.

TT

 _{The following night}_

It was nearing midnight; the turnover for a new day. Richard and Kori were still in the hospital. Kori was slowly processing everything and hasn't decided anything yet. Richard hasn't left her side.

Bruce and Selina would be home today around two in the afternoon. Hopefully things would get straightened out once Bruce returned. At least, that's what Richard was praying for, among other things.

The rest of the group was sound asleep back at Wayne Manor. All was peaceful for now, which was something they weren't used to. It was a weird feeling not having Richard and Kori—essentially the partial owners of the mansion—in the actual home. However, they understood and empathized with the couple deeply.

Rachel's eyeballs rolled from side to side, though her eyes were closed. She whimpered slightly in her sleep and shook uncontrollably. A nightmare was taking place. One with blood red eyes and fangs as sharp as knives.

Knives.

Someone she cared deeply for specialized in knives.

 _Rachel._

She looked around in her nightmare. It was weird seeing her in her own head. Darkness surrounded her. All she had on was a thin black nightgown. She was barefoot and cold.

 _Rachel. Come find me._

She looked around and couldn't see anyone or anything. "Hello?" She called out. No one answered.

Soon, something bright began to shine. It was so bright, she squinted her amethyst eyes just to see. What was it she was trying to see?

"Who's there?" She shouted into the abyss. She held her hands up ready for a fight.

 _Open your eyes._

Rachel bit her bottom lip as her knees trembled. _Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid._ She kept telling herself that. Fear was her biggest challenge. She hated being scared.

"I want OUT!" She yelled to ideally nothing at all. She turned around and began to run.

Rachel ran fast and hard. She didn't want anyone or anything getting her. It felt as if the fear she once felt was sweating out of her body. All she had to do was keep running…

 _ **CLANK!**_

Whatever she just ran into, did not feel good on her head. She laid flat on her back on the pitch black ground. Her chest rose up and down in fast motion. Now, she awaited whatever it was trying to reach her.

She was scared.

Rachel's eyes flew open and she sat up with a hand on her chest. She was breathing profusely and trying to recollect herself. Her body was covered in so much sweat that her hair was sticking to her neck and forehead.

"It was just a dream…" she whispered to herself as she glanced over at the clock. "Geez, midnight?" She rubbed her eyes and realized something was missing.

Or rather someone.

Rachel searched around for Gar. He was _always_ in bed before her and always woke up after her. Right now, he was gone and she had no idea where to. The spot in which he laid in was cold, meaning he'd been gone for awhile.

She got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom. Even though the light wasn't on, he still could've been in there. She cracked open the door only to find it empty. His shower towel was laying on the tiled floor but that wasn't anything new.

Her eyebrows furrowed. Not in the room or bathroom. Her next guess was the kitchen. Maybe he got hungry?

"This is getting annoying," Rachel muttered to herself.

She could use her powers to easily track him but after her nightmare, the chances of it working were slim. However, she had an eerie feeling about all of this. It was very out of the ordinary for Gar to just be...gone. And not tell her.

Rachel slowly descended the stairs to get to the main floor. Usually she was pretty fearless and never looked back, especially when it was nighttime. She'd always preferred the darkness. But right now—actually, lately—she was being more cautious than ever.

She walked into the kitchen and saw that the fridge was cracked open slightly. Immediately, she figured Gar was here. She could hear something dripping. It was most likely the orange juice.

"Great. I get to clean up the mess." She grabbed some paper towels and walked around the corner to see the mess. Only what she _actually_ saw was enough to make her stop dead in her tracks. Below the fridge was a puddle of a faint red liquid.

It resembled blood.

She walked over to it and slowly opened the fridge. There was a chunk of raw meat sitting on the shelf. Part of it was obviously missing but the red juice dripped amply. By now, Rachel was thoroughly confused and a tad bit freaked out.

All of a sudden, a dark silhouette whipped past behind her. Her hair flew up and she immediately drew up a shield around her.

"Who's there?" She demanded. But when she turned around, no one was present.

A noise sounded from the den and Rachel decided to investigate. Calling Richard probably would've been ideal but he had a lot on his plate right now. This could've been something minor.

Rachel stepped into the den and readied herself for an attack. Her best guess was that it was the intruder. She was not going to let them get away this time. As much as she was an antisocial homebody, she wasn't going to let a raging psycho ruin her summer anymore.

It wasn't until she walked around one of the couches that she saw someone—or rather something—hovered over what looked like raw meat by the window. The moonlight illuminated the scene enough to know that whatever it was the creature had was, in fact, a part of the giant piece of raw meat that was in the fridge.

"What the hell?" Rachel breathed as she neared the creature. She took quiet cautious steps towards it to get a better look.

Rachel took one more step on the wooden floors and it creaked loudly. She swallowed, knowing she'd made a big mistake. The creature also stopped what it was doing and sniffed the air. Slowly, the creature's head turned and stared dead into Rachel's eyes.

Rachel's own eyes grew wide at the werewolf-like beast. It's eyes were a pale snowy white as were it's sharp-as-knives teeth. It's pointed ears were covered in rough looking fur as was the rest of its body. The beast was frightening and the red meat juice dripped from its mouth.

"Oh...my…" Rachel slowly backed away and couldn't even muster out a scream or anything. She was in a state of shock that her nightmare had become real.

Or was it that her nightmare was a vision?

But what really made Rachel's heart stop altogether was one fact and one fact only:

She knew exactly who the beast was.


End file.
